Miracle League Kicks Off Third Season

Every child deserves to play baseball, and every parent should have the opportunity to watch his or her child play.

That's the motto of the Miracle League of Southwestern Pennsylvania, which was created to make sure that happens.

Cranberry resident Mike Sherry, co-founder and now president of the league, said the local organization opened in 2009 to great success. He's expecting big things in 2011 as well.

“We had our grand opening of our field and first season that year with over 150 players and 250 volunteers. Last year, we had over 260 players and 500 volunteers,” he said, “This year we expect to top that.”

Sherry and his wife, Chris, are the forces behind the nonprofit organization. Once residents of Alabama, the two were familiar with Miracle Leagues from their time in the south.

“We went to the opening of a field due to my work down there, but then we went on and did our own thing, not thinking much more about it,” Sherry said.

They would remember that visit when, a few years later, their daughter Jordan, then 3, was diagnosed with autism.

“We thought that we should build one of these fields,” Sherry said, “God gave us this little blessing, and she is really our motivation behind the field.”

The Sherrys, who also are parents of 10-year-old Tanner, soon started a campaign to enlist funders, find other volunteers and to reach out to families who would utilize the field.

“I spent a lot of time at Rotary and Lions Club meetings and visited numerous businesses,” Sherry said.

The hard work paid off. Sherry found funding to build the $300,000 field, which included a major sponsorship from the Pittsburgh Pirates Charities.

“The field is completely handicapped-accessible and has a rubberized field that is completely smooth so that regardless of a child’s challenges, they can play ball,” he said.

The field is called the Pirates Charities Miracle League Field.

There are three divisions within the Miracle League. The non-competitive division, the Miracle Division, is for children 5 to 18 years of age; the Adult Division is for those over 18; and the Youth Competitive Division is for children who wish to play in a competition league.

“We have about 80 percent of our participants in the traditional league (Miracle Division), about 10 percent in the adult division and about 10 percent in the youth competition league,” Sherry said.

The field is located in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Sportsplex at in Cranberry Township.

“We are so fortunate to live in Cranberry Township. The leadership in our township and the folks at the athletic associations have been so supportive,” Sherry said.

He added that the residents of the community helped ensure the success of the field and the league.

“I have seen other Miracle Leagues really struggle in other areas because they don’t have support like we do from their communities,” he said.

Part of what makes MLSWPA stand out is its “buddy program.” Each child and adult who participates in the program has a friend who helps him or her play ball. That way, parents can watch their children play from the stands.

“This takes an incredible number of volunteer hours, which is another reason we are so lucky to be in this community. Most leagues stop at this point – they don’t have a buddy system,” Sherry said.

Hampton Township resident Dori Ortman, the mother of 10-year-old Emily -- who has played with the league since its inception -- said the buddy system is one of the league's outstanding features.

It actually was Emily’s buddy, 17-year-old cheerleading coach Abby Mullins, who reached out to Ortman to suggest Emily, who has Down syndrome, get involved.

While Ortman knew about the program through her work as the program coordinator at UCP Kids -- which assists families living with Cerebral Palsy -- it only was after Abby volunteered to be Emily’s buddy that Ortman signed her daughter up to play.

“It is great to watch Emily play and know that she is having a great time," Ortman said. "In my work, we are all for inclusive programs, but it is important for these children to have their own activities as well."

Abby loves her volunteer work with the league.

“I think it is a good opportunity for everyone – for them and for those of us who volunteer,” she said, “I have so much fun. Sometimes I think it is more fun for me than her [Emily].”

Kevin Delaney, coach of the Miracle Division and a board member, agreed.

“I got involved because my own two boys play Cranberry recreational baseball," he said. "When I heard everyone at the fields talking about this league and that they needed volunteers, it just made sense for me to volunteer."

Delaney estimated he spends about 60 volunteer hours or more during the season.

“Once you see the kids, once you work with them, you can’t help but come back,” he said.

Ortman and Delaney said that having the field in the midst of the Cranberry sportsplex is another huge plus.

“They get to feel like they are going to a ‘real’ field and with all the other kids,” Ortman said, "And the other kids get to see them coming up and playing ball on the fields just like them.”

Coaching the players is a role Delaney cherishes.

“They just want to be out playing ball," he said. "This makes it happen."

The league is open to residents with special needs in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Registration is now open for spring and fall ball.

Registration is $25 for the spring and $15 for the fall. There is a scholarship fund and volunteers also are needed. For more information visit www.mlswpa.org.