After enduring several cancellations due to rain in the spring season, Buddy League opened its fall season under bright sunshine and blue skies Saturday, Oct. 3.
The beautiful weather was perfect for a balloon release for a Buddy League player who passed away between the spring and fall seasons.
“Some of you may not be aware, but one of our players on the Angels, Johnny, was traded to the big leagues. He’s now playing baseball every day,” said Heather Miller, founder of Buddy League. “He’s running and playing and speaking and hugging and loving all the things he hadn’t been able to do while he was here.”
The baseball league for kids with disabilities, founded by Miller in 2002, provides an opportunity for kids who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to participate in team sports a chance to have that experience. They make new friends and gain self-esteem while having fun.
The kids with disabilities are assisted by ‘buddies,’ who are non-disabled youth that give them whatever help they need to bat or get around the bases. The buddies learn as much as the players.
According to Miller’s description at www.buddyleague.org, “They learn by witnessing and assisting the players. They see what love and true frien
dship are all about. They now see that children with disabling conditions have many of the same needs and wants as they have. They need to be loved, accepted, appreciated, encouraged, have friends and have fun.”
A group of students from Bishop Lynch High School has been volunteering at Buddy League for a couple of years and the students look forward to and enjoy the time spent at Buddy League games.
Preston, a Bishop Lynch student who has been volunteering for three years, said that Buddy League is the most popular activity for getting their required service hours.
“We’re here for the kids. We want to help them out,” Preston said. “We enjoyed playing sports as kids and we know what it’s like and how important it is to make friends no matter what your mental or physical state is.”
Rachel, another Bishop Lynch student also enjoys volunteering with Buddy League.
“I enjoy seeing how happy the kids are,” she said. “They can’t enjoy all the things we do, so I just like helping to put a smile on their faces.”
Shafen Crawford, an Edward Jones financial advisor from the downtown Garland office, attends Buddy League games to help others as well. There are often financial complications and worry for parents of special needs children and he is often available to visit with parents at games.
“It’s important to consider looking into trusts when you have special needs kids. There are governmental regulations on how much financial support a special needs child can have without cutting into government support,” Crawford said. “This is a way to help be sure that special needs children get the most funding possible for his needs.”
In his capacity as a financial advisor, Crawford keeps up with government regulations which do change from time to time and he works with attorneys that can help establish trusts.
Anyone who hasn’t attended a Buddy League game won’t want to miss the opportunity to go to Bradfield Park on any remaining October Saturday or Saturday, Nov. 7 and participate in the fun and joy and magic of Buddy League. The games start at 9 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.