It was a typical autumn morning in late October 2004, and although John McLaughlin’s only daughter was getting married, he felt compelled to take his houseguests to watch baseball games.
While the sounds — fists pounding into gloves, the ping of an aluminum bat hitting a ball, cheering from the stands — are the same heard at fields all over the country, these were no ordinary ballgames. These were games with a higher purpose: letting people with disablities play baseball on a field built specifically for them.
Since retiring as a pilot for Delta Air Lines, McLaughlin has directed the adapted baseball league here — the North Metro Miracle League at North Park in Alpharetta, which serves about 180 children and adults. His friends and family who were in town for the wedding were eager to see the object of a passion that has driven him to volunteer for nearly five years.
McLaughlin’s sister, Judy Schwartz, visiting from Colorado for the wedding, wasn’t sure which event would make her more emotional — the wedding or the game she was watching. As she stood on the sidelines with her husband, Bruce, she cheered “Yeah! Good hit,” to Carly Craig, 15, a girl who easily raced to first base. Like several of her teammates, Craig has Down syndrome.
From a distance, the Northside Hospital Field at the Adapted Sports Complex doesn’t appear much different from other fields at the park. But a closer inspection shows that the field is not made of dirt and grass, but a smooth surface, Mondo Super-X, which is suitable for players who need wheelchairs or walkers.
Behind the field is a playground where younger children can play safely, a family pavilion with 16 picnic tables and a terraced area for watching games.
Dozens of families were at the Alpharetta’s North Park on this Saturday.
Lori and Tim Barnes drive two hours from Royston to bring their daughter, Abby, 14, to play. Abby, who has cerebral palsy, started playing ball in North Metro League in spring 2004.
With an athlete’s determination, Abby has become a good hitter and baserunner. The teen is ecstatic when her team wins a game.
“She hasn't missed a game since we started,” Lori Barnes said. “This has been a wonderful experience for our entire family and we are thrilled that we have this option for Abby.”
The buddy system
Christian Matthew, 12, arrived at the Northside Hospital Field after playing a Little League baseball game at another field. Christian is a North Metro Miracle League “buddy,” one of about 3,000 volunteers who help and encourage players on the field.
Christian was upset that a change in his own game’s time made him late for the Miracle League game, but he arrived just in time for buddy Trent Ferrell’s game for teens.
“I never want to miss a Saturday here,” Christian said. “I come to all Trent’s games and he even comes to some of mine.”
Christian’s mom, Robin Matthew, said her son got involved in volunteering after she took him to a company-mandated day for the Special Olympics several years ago when the family lived in Kansas.
“It’s just really important that I can be there to cheer for Trent and other kids, too. He needs that,” Christian said.
George Sun, 15, who has been at the complex since before 10 a.m., is encouraging Ira White, 45. White plays in the adult division and most of his teammates live in group homes for adults with disabilities.
Earlier in the day, Sun and fellow Milton High School baseball teammate Grant Perry, were horsing around with Albert Williams, an 8-year-old with Down syndrome who wants to play with his buddies more than he wants to play baseball.
“We are so thankful this exists,” said Sherri Williams, Albert’s mother. “Albert can hit the ball and run to base, but he’s not mentally proficient enough to play in a game with typical kids. Here he can get the help he needs to play to his abilities and have fun, too.”
For Sun, Perry and many of their teammates, this is the first time they have volunteered to be buddies. They both said it’s “cool.”
“We are not just a baseball league,” McLaughlin said. “We have become an extended family, a place where everyone belongs and everyone feels at home.”
The money raised by the North Metro Miracle League to fund the complex — about $1.7 million, including $250,000 from Northside Hospital — came from corporations and volunteers. But for McLaughlin, there is still work to be done.
For now, a makeshift table serves as a concession stand, manned by high school students from St. Francis High School. The only bathroom on site belongs to a construction company doing work across the road, but McLaughlin and his team of volunteers are hoping to break ground on a bathroom/comfort facility by April. The facility will cost $150,000 to build, which the league is working to raise.
As with the rest of the complex, once the facility is built, it will be maintained by the Alpharetta Parks and Recreation Department.
The North Metro Miracle League has two 10-week seasons per year with three age divisions and three levels of competition. Special education and adapted physical education teachers act as advisers and coaches.
McLaughlin believes that participating in the program is life-changing for everyone involved.
“Once someone has gotten involved in our program — whether as a buddy, coach, fund-raiser, player or parent — they usually stay involved,” McLaughlin said. “We’ve got year-round programs now that go way beyond baseball. It gives each of us something special to look forward to.”
For information about the league, contact McLaughlin at 770-777-7044 or john@nmml.net or visit www.nmml.net.
For information about Unity Place, call Smith at 770-277-9647, e-mail gaaspecialneeds@yahoo.com or visit www.gaaspecialneeds.com.