Athletes don't let disabilities stop baseball fun

Advice

JEFF BEIERMANN/THE WORLD-HERALD

Omaha Miracle League baseball has more than 160 athletes with disabilities who play at the Allplay sports complex at Seymour Smith Park near 68th and Harrison Streets. Above, Caitlyn Smith of Bellevue heads for home plate.

Published Saturday June 23, 2012

Athletes don't let disabilities stop baseball fun

Click here for more information on the Omaha Miracle League.

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At first glance, it looks like a typical Saturday morning kids' baseball game.

A beautiful baseball diamond, players and coaches. An electronic scoreboard, P.A. announcer and a concession stand. Family members and friends cheering from the sidelines.

But look closer. Many of the players are in wheelchairs or use walkers. Almost all have ?buddies,? who assist them in hitting, rounding the bases or playing in the outfield.

It's all part of Omaha Miracle League baseball, played at the Allplay fields in Seymour Smith Park, 68th and Harrison Streets.

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All of the players have disabilities ranging from autism and dwarfism to cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, and many physical and mental disabilities in between.

The league, now in its fourth year, is the creation of Bruce Froendt, a paraplegic who was injured in a 1984 diving accident and has partial use of his hands. He has competed on numerous wheelchair basketball, track and field and softball teams over the years. In his travels as an athlete, he saw top-of-the-line playing fields and sports facilities for the disabled in other cities.

?They were things we needed here,? he said during a break as play-by-play man for the junior game on a recent Saturday morning. ?I knew it would be a big effort.?

?It was his dream,? said Bruce's dad, Tip. ?This is something he wanted to do. He wanted a place for these kids to play.?

In 2008, the $1.5 million barrier-free Allplay complex became a reality. It includes two baseball diamonds with special rubber surfaces to soften falls, playground equipment that can be used by wheelchair-bound individuals and a water park. There also is a welcome center-concession stand, shade pavilion and seating for visitors.

Froendt raised the necessary money, got city permission to use part of Seymour Smith Park and guided the creation of the sports complex, which is open to the public during park hours except when it's being used for such things as the Miracle League or special events.

?This is an amazing facility,? said Vicky Vandervort, mother of player Michael Vandervort. ?Bruce raised a huge amount of money and has helped build awareness. Michael has been coming since it started four years ago.?

Froendt said the league has grown from 40 players the first year to 160 this year. They range from age 4 to 72. If the league grows much more, games may have to expand beyond the eight games played every Saturday during the two seasons (spring and fall).

?Look out there,? Froendt said that Saturday morning as the Cubs played the Marlins. ?What do you see? Kids playing instead of sitting on the sidelines.?

On the diamond at the Allplay field, Caitlyn Smith seems to have the game figured out, even though it was her first time playing. She said the experience was ?cool.? JEFF BEIERMANN/THE WORLD-HERALD

Donations and volunteers make the Miracle League possible. Members of Froendt's family support him. Tip pitches in wherever he's needed, whether it's to make repairs or be a buddy for a player. Brother Brett was announcing another game. Mother Joyce Godberson was running the concession stand.

But not every volunteer was related. They come from all over Omaha, and more would be welcome.

John White, 16, who will be a junior at Ralston High School in the fall, heard about the league from a neighbor who was going blind.

?He invited me down,? John said. ?That was four years ago. I've been volunteering ever since.?

He said he keeps coming back because of the people. ?Everyone is happy and really nice.?

Hands of Heartland in Bellevue, which serves people with developmental disabilities, has several players, volunteers and spectators.

Janey Ulmer, a quality support specialist, said she accompanies the players to the games and cheers for them. Sometimes she acts as a buddy.

?The kids look forward to it,? she said. ?Many of the players aren't verbal, but they're verbal in their eyes.?

Vandervort said the same about her 25-year-old son Michael, who is unable to speak.

?He gets so excited when we tell him he's going to play baseball.?

Sam Bell of Hands of Heartland coaches three of the organization's four teams and brings family members, including his 11-year-old daughter, Sky, to help out. They got involved because his son Perrin is autistic. But Bell probably would come even without that incentive.

?I love getting the kids out here,? he said. ?And they love playing.?

Tip Froendt said watching the kids of every age play is rewarding in many ways. But he's thrilled at the effect baseball has on the players.

?These kids, when they put on a baseball uniform, they turn into different people. They are proud.?

Bruce Froendt said every player receives a uniform and treats during the game. Each game lasts about an hour.

The focus of the games is never about winning. Every player on each team gets to bat every inning. All players are safe on the bases and every player scores. All players names are announced during the game. And every game ends in a tie.

During the season, the players have a couple of cookouts and a visit to a Storm Chasers game. Sometimes there are wheelchair and walker races or other fun activities.

?They have fun, get outdoors and some get a great workout,? Bruce said.

Miracle League baseball isn't just in Omaha. Presently there are 250 Miracle League organizations in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Australia, serving more than 200,000 children and young adults.

?I come as often as I can,? said Geri Eastman, whose great-nephew Sam Osborn is a player and nephew Mark Osborn is a coach. ?The kids love it so much. I'm so proud of them and their families.?

More on the Omaha Miracle League

Miracle League baseball has two seasons: spring (seven weeks in May and June) and fall (six weeks in August and September). In addition to players, the league needs volunteer coaches and buddies.

Players: All ages with mental or physical disabilities can play. The junior and senior divisions are based partly on age and partly on ability.

Games: 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon Saturdays

Where: Allplay complex in Seymour Smith Park, 68th and Harrison Streets

Information: Contact Bruce Froendt, bfroendt@cox.net.

Registration: Register online at allplay.org or show up early for the season's first game (Aug. 11). There is an entry fee of $10.

Challenger little league

Two of the teams playing in the Miracle League on Saturday mornings represent the Challenger Little League.

Challenger is a nonprofit organization that also provides Little League baseball opportunities for youth 5 to 21 who have cognitive or physical disabilities. They are divided into three age groups.

Although some of the teams play at Allplay, most the league's games are played at Keystone Fields, 120th Street and West Maple Road.

The league has only one season, in spring, so players will have to wait until 2013 to participate.

Registration is $60. There are discounts for early registration and for multiple children from one family. Some scholarships are available.

For more information on this league, visit challengerlittleleague.org or email cllomaha@yahoo.com.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1067, carol.bicak@owh.com

Copyright ?2012 Omaha World-Herald?. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.

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