SportsEvents Magazine

AUG 2014

SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.

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▼ YOUTH Sports contributed significantly to the effort. As a result, more than $250,000 of the funds raised to build the field was in honor of Nate Hurwitz. "He always had a smile, and rather than complaining about what he couldn't do, he was thankful for what he could do, Comden said. "I was very honored to tell his family that we were going to name the field after him. The Nate Hurwitz Miracle Field is a great legacy to Nate and we feel his spirit at every game played there." Breaking Down Barriers Diane Alford, executive director at the Miracle League's national office in Conyers, Ga., said it is not unusual to have one person in a community become the driving force for building a Miracle Field. "It often starts with someone who has seen or heard about our program," she said, "Typically, that individual contacts us and we go into the community to help build awareness, share ideas about raising funds and provide the specifications for building the field." She explained that the roots of the Miracle League trace back to 1997, when Rockdale (Ga.) Youth Baseball Association (RYBA) coach Eddie Bagwell invited a child with a disability to play baseball on his team. This 7-year-old, who used a wheelchair, attended every game and practice, while cheering on his 5-year- old brother. In 1998, other children with disabilities were invited to play baseball on a typical field within the RYBA complex. The play- ers expressed the desire to dress in uni- forms, make plays on the field, and round the bases just like their mainstream peers, and the league began with 35 players on four teams. Alford said "there was no precedent to designing a baseball program for kids with disabilities, so we had to feel our way through." Rules were established, which state the following: ■ Every player bats once each inning. ■ All players are safe on the bases. ■ Every player scores a run before the inning is over (last one up gets a home run). ■ Community children and volunteers serve as 'buddies' to assist the players. ■ Each team and each player wins every game. By the 1999 spring season, participation in RYBA's program grew to more than 50 players and the magnitude of need for such a program was recognized, Alford said. After learning there were more than 75,000 children in Metro Atlanta with dis- abilities, most unable to participate in team sports, the dream of building a unique baseball complex for these special children was conceived. The Miracle League was formed and became a reality so that all children would have the chance to play baseball. Under the leadership of Dean Alford, the Rotary Clubs of Rockdale County and Conyers stepped forward to form the Rotary Miracle League Fund Inc., a 501 (c) 3 organization with two objectives: to raise the funds necessary to build a special complex with facilities that meet the unique needs of the Miracle League play- ers, and to assist in the outreach efforts for Miracle Leagues across the country. In designing the first Miracle League field, completed in April 2000, safety concerns were addressed by creating a custom-designed field with a cushioned rubberized surface. Alford explained that this helps prevent injuries and allows a batted ball to bounce and travel further. To eliminate any barriers to wheelchair- bound ➤ The bronze sculpture (right) by Lou Cella, who created sculptures of famous baseball players outside of Comerica Park, captures the image of Jed Comden, whose father Tony was the driving force in getting the Nate Hurwitz Miracle Field in Rockville, Mich., built. Below is a game under way on the field.

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