Spring and fall bring out the all American in me. Imagine that, Morgan the all American! I am a part of the Miracle League in Newton County, which allows me to play softball so I can live a normal kid’s life. My team is called the Phillies because my mom is from Philadelphia.
Children of all ages with different disabilities can play modified softball. Quantum sponsors my team. We get help from the volunteers and we call buddies. They help the kids that are too weak to hit the ball and run around the bases with them. Our buddies make the game functional as well as fun, they are awesome people for taking time out of their lives to spend with us. We even have kids that are blind on our team. We let them try to hit the ball as many times as they can until they hit the ball with the bat. It’s pretty cool because they generally go by the sound of the ball coming towards them. I love to watch all of us adapt to the sport using our different abilities and our buddies help that process go smoothly. We have kids with autism, wheelchair users, fast runners and heavy hitters on our team; we are a pretty diverse group. Everyone is special and talented in their own way. The games are lots of fun, our commentator makes lots of jokes during the game and there’s even a digital score board and an advertising banner promoting iLevel technology on our field’s gate.
We have hundreds of supporters. We also have a mascot that also keep the game interesting. The Miracle League gives the community a different way to see us. When we are out on that field, we are kids with different abilities not disabilities. We forget about whatever is on our mind and we can see the joy in our parents and even our buddies’ faces during the game. I am an avid video gamer and while that gives me a thrill, it’s way more exciting to use my power wheelchair to glide around the diamond. Even the diamond is special because there is a rubberized surface that helps make sure we don’t have injuries.
We have a wheelchair-accessible dugout and we cheer each other on from that dugout. The whole surface is very flat which makes it accessible for all our unique needs. The Miracle League really thought about our needs and catered to each one of them. We have a concession stand too. My teammates and I don’t really go there often because we bring team snacks, but it smells good when the wind blows the right way.
No matter how bad I feel, I go out on that diamond and play my best game because I know my teammates depend on me. We feed off each other’s energy to make it through the times that we are tired. The Miracle League had allowed me to make friendships that will probably last for a long time. It also allows me to give my mom, brother and sister a chance to see my skills. Did I mention I was good? As a matter of fact, I wish that spring and fall would hurry up and get here!
About Morgan Steward: Morgan is an honorary police officer for the Covington Georgia Police Department. He lives with his mother, father and two siblings. He is an active member in his community and enjoys helping others. Click here to learn more about Morgan.