Baseball season kicks off for children with disabilities
Published: May 7, 2007
Evan Sussman was more than ready to play some baseball yesterday at Ridge Road Park.
With a cap on his head and a mitt on his hand, the 7-year-old sports fanatic had been waiting all winter for a chance to take a crack at the ball and then sprint around the bases - and he wasn’t going to let the fact that he was in a wheelchair stop him.
He wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
More than 100 children with disabilities kicked off the opening day of the Miracle League baseball season with smiles so radiant that they brought tears to the eyes of parents and spectators.
Made possible through donations and grants, the Miracle League aims to bring the nation’s pastime to every child, regardless of disability. Participation is free.
“All week long, all he talks about is playing baseball on the weekend,” said an emotional Karen Kushnir, Evan’s mother of Brewster. “This has been a dream come true for us. As you can see, I’ll just keep crying.”
The Miracle League of Westchester County is one of the newest chapters of the national organization founded in Atlanta about a decade ago. There are now more than 140 local chapters.
Games are played on a specially designed rubberized field that is painted with all the features of a regular baseball diamond.
So far, the Miracle Field in Hartsdale is the only such field built entirely with county funds, according to organizers. Westchester spent $525,000 to create the field, which opened last year.
“Every child should have the same opportunity as a typically developed child,” said Stephen Madey, executive director of the Westchester chapter. “This means the world to me. I don’t think words can explain it.”
The opening-day festivities yesterday began with a parade around the parking lot, led by the Westchester County Emerald Society band of bagpipes and drums.
Giuliana Ficuciello was the first to wheel herself up to the plate. The 7-year-old Eastchester girl smacked the ball off the tee and beamed as her volunteer “buddy” Adriana Cocucci, also 7, pushed her around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
“I was a little nervous at first,” said Giuliana, who has cerebral palsy. “But then, once I hit the home run, I felt better because my friend Adriana here was supporting me a lot and we are friends for life.”
Proud parents watched from the sidelines as the children took turns batting or playing the field.
Saying it was indescribable to watch their children having so much fun, parents wished more programs like the Miracle League were available throughout the region.
“There’s nothing for my boys to do otherwise,” said Rosa Metz of Mount Vernon, the mother of two disabled boys. “These children deserve a better quality of life.”
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