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League of Miracles

The mission of the Hartford Council for Recreation always has been to impact the youth in the communities we serve in a positive manner. One of the unique programs we bring to our community every year is the Hartford League of Miracles. The program, first seen in our community in the summer of 2012, is a group dedicated to those individuals who suffer from a medical or mental disability, with those conditions keeping them from participating in competitive sports. By offering the League of Miracles program, it allows participants the opportunity to play the sports they love, while interacting with their peers in an environment unlike any other. Over the course of its successful existence, participants have experienced excitement, fun and joy in all the sports they compete in – and the portfolio of offered activities just keeps on growing!

As a community-based youth organization, we feel truly honored to offer this special program to the Hartford community. Our organization feels strongly that every child or young adult should receive an equal opportunity to enjoy and experience the sports they love, no matter what challenges or obstacles an individual might have to face in their everyday lives. That is why we have joined more than 300 other organizations around the world that have united in support of the initiatives and philosophies that the Miracle League was founded and built on.

If you are interested in joining our organization on this truly life changing mission, whether helping as a volunteer coach, being a ‘buddy’ for one of our participants, sponsoring the Hartford League of Miracles, or just wanting to learn more information about the program, we encourage you to reach out to Sandy Burtchett, Hartford League of Miracles Director, at (269) 207-8501, or by email at [email protected]. Everyone involved with this program is grateful for the community support of this truly gratifying endeavor!

About the Miracle League

There is something about playing the game that lights up a person’s eyes. But for children and adults facing serious physical and mental disabilities that opportunity can often be difficult to achieve. Baseball diamonds weren’t exactly designed with wheelchairs and crutches in mind.

The Miracle League removes the barriers that keep children with mental and physical disabilities off the baseball field and lets them experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime. Since the main barriers for these adults arise from the natural grass fields used in conventional leagues, Miracle League teams play on a custom-designed, rubberized turf field that accommodates wheelchairs and other assertive devices while helping to prevent injuries.

But it’s more than playing a game. The Miracle League is about making new friends, building self-esteem and being treated just like other athletes. To help the athletes, the Miracle League uses a “buddy” system – pairing each player with an able-bodied peer. The result is a bond that cannot be described. The Miracle League serves children and adults who suffer from any physical or mental disabilities, which causes them to be excluded, whether intentionally or not, from conventional Baseball leagues.

The first Miracle League field opened in Conyers, Georgia in April 2000. Word spread and by 2002, fields opened in South Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia, Illinois, and California. There are presently 240 plus Miracle League Organizations across the country including Puerto Rico and Canada, while serving 200,000 plus children and adults.

The Miracle League has an aggressive plan to help local communities build Miracle League complexes around the globe.

Our players may not be able to run the bases or hit the ball as well as some of their peers, but they have an equal amount of love and determination to play baseball. We want to help them achieve that dream.

(Above information gathered from the Miracle League website)