Edmond program gives special needs kids a (miracle) league of their own

EDMOND — Mighty Joel Carr steps up to the plate during the Edmond Miracle League season opener and takes a swing. He whiffs again and again. Sixteen times in all.

Volunteer David Dahlgren helps with his stance. He wraps his arms around Carr and leads him through a swing until he gets it right. Finally Carr rips a shot down the third base line, pumping his fist as he runs to first as everyone cheers.

Dahlgren's oldest son, Kyle, played baseball at Edmond North. When Kyle graduated, David wanted to stay around the game and this is his outlet. Love and encouragement are never in short supply from Miracle League volunteers.

"You want them to succeed and you do everything you can to help them no matter what it takes,” Dahlgren said. "You worry about their patience giving out before ours.”

As Major League Baseball celebrated its Opening Day on Monday, this is opening day in the Miracle League, an organization founded by Margo Price in 2004 to give special needs kids and young adults a chance to play baseball. Price's son, James, is autistic and a first baseman for the Cardinals. It was his love of baseball that was her inspiration.

"These kids want to be a part of a team,” Price said. "They want to have friends, and activities to do. It's something he can do and no one will make fun of him. It's a comfortable setting.”

Volunteer Bill Shipley guides Rangers outfielder Holly Welte to her position. He gently encourages her to keep her eyes on home plate where the action is.

"The first time I saw this I had tears in my eyes,” Shipley said. "I couldn't believe what I saw and I couldn't control it. It does something to your heart. These kids play and they don't know they're different. They've taught me they're just as normal as I am.”

While the players may not be much different from the volunteers when it comes to heart and soul, they are different when it comes to everyday life. Raising healthy kids today brings with it myriad challenges. Raising a special needs child requires lifelong and often hourly dedication.

Terry DeFelice's 19-year-old son Andrew has multiple disabilities, including autism. Days without worry or struggle are virtually nonexistent for the family, which includes Andrew's twin sister, a college student. As Andrew prepares to bat he knocks over a water cooler in the dugout. Nobody seems to notice, except for Terry, who quickly picks it up.

"He's a good kid who is very happy,” Terry DeFelice said. "But can you imagine changing someone's diaper every day for 19 years and feeding that individual every day, making sure they get a bath and everything else that needs to be done? It requires a lot of teamwork from our family.”

But the payoff is often huge for players and their parents. Andrew has been playing for the Cardinals for three seasons. He knows when it's time to play ball and he loves it.

"When we put on his shirt he associates that with the preparation and process of getting his bat and glove,” DeFelice said. "He gets excited about it and looks forward to the interaction.”

Austin Reynolds takes his turn at the plate. Like Carr, he struggles with cut after cut before he makes contact. The 18-year-old Edmond Memorial High School student sprints to first base while his mother Rebecca cheers. He gets a high five from his teammates. It's a moment of joy that punctuates what can be a difficult day-to-day existence for the developmentally delayed Reynolds.

"I think just like you have with typically developed kids the highs are high and the lows are low,” Rebecca Reynolds said. "Those highs and lows are exponentially different with a child with special needs.”

She's grateful her son has a chance to do something other kids do.

"It may take him 20 swings to hit a ball, but the joy on his face when he makes it in is worth all those swings,” she said. "It gives him goals, something to aspire to in life.”

Cardinals coach Jeff Wedel has been a longtime volunteer. He helped build the field at Mitch Park. His son Mark, 14, has Down syndrome and has been playing for four seasons. Wedel throws the pitches to both the Cardinals and the Rangers. Some nights he might throw 200 or more trying to make sure everyone gets a hit.

"It's the thrill of seeing these kids with a smile on their face,” he said. "You see Joel working and you see his face light up with excitement after he gets a hit and that's where it all pays off.”

Jeff and Mark have a typical father and son relationship. They play catch in the back yard and share a mutual love in sports. Besides baseball, Mark also swims.

And when the Miracle League schedule comes out, Mark creates his own calendar and counts down the days until the season opener.

As Andrew DeFelice gets a hit, Terry guides him to first base. He gets a slap on the back from another volunteer. A smile creeps across Andrew's face as his father's pride shines through. For an instant, Andrew's just a normal kid playing baseball. The moment is simple, yet profound.

"At the end of the day Andrew is God-given,” Terry DeFelice said. "He's been the teacher and we've been the students. We're grateful to have him in our family and for the lessons he has taught us.”

•Every player gets to bat twice.

•Players swing until they make contact.

•There are no outs, no strike zones and no final scores.

•There are 108 players divided among 10 teams.