In preparation for his bar mitzvah, Ryan Heidish, a 13-year-old second baseman from Alpharetta, collected bats and balls and other baseball equipment and raised money to help with a new diamond for The Miracle League of South Fulton, a baseball team for special needs kids. That alone is nice. That Heidish’s efforts restored the faith of a self-described “weary, near retirement recreation professional” made it doubly so.
“This kid from the North side took time to help out a group of kids on the South side that he has never met so they could experience all of the highs that go with the great American game of baseball,” remarked Lee Blitch, parks and recreation manager of Union City. He called Ryan “what’s right with kids today.”
Blitch wasn’t the only one moved by the experience. Ryan, a seventh grader at Webb Bridge Middle School, talked about how his association with The Miracle League has changed him and how he plans to stay connected with the group in the future.
Q: Your community service was connected to your bar mitzvah?
A: You do a mitzvah project. A lot of kids collect food and some work at shelters. I wanted to do something different.
Q: How did you decide to collect baseball equipment?
A: I have been playing baseball for a really long time. My school had a program when I was in the fifth grade where we worked with special needs kids. This was a combination of both.
Q: How did you go about getting equipment?
A: I asked a bunch of people I had been playing baseball with. I also asked people around the neighborhood and family members. I got a lot of baseballs, helmets, bats, cleats, even some baseball pants.
Q: Was the stuff new or used?
A: Most of it was used but some of it looks pretty new. If it was used, I washed it and made it look new.
Q: You also washed dogs to raise $150 to help the Miracle League get a baseball diamond. How did that go?
A: I held the dog wash at my neighborhood clubhouse. My cousins and my brother helped me. I also sold dog neckerchiefs.
Q: What do you like about baseball?
A: I play for the West Forsyth Knights. I just like being with my friends and going outside. It is just fun.
Q: You really touched that Union City official. Did that surprise you?
A: I didn’t think giving sports equipment would be such a big deal. It really did mean something.
Q: Were you able to meet any of the kids from The Miracle League?
A: No but I would like to.
Q: What did giving that equipment do for you?
A: It has made me more responsible. It has made me a better person. I am looking forward to helping The Miracle League more.
Q: So you are going to keep at it?
A: They don’t have a baseball field right now — they are playing in a gym. I would like to help raise money to help them get a field.
Q: Is it hard to imagine that there are kids who don’t have a baseball diamond to play on?
A: I can’t imagine playing in a gym and not being outside.
The Sunday conversation is edited for length and clarity. Writer Ann Hardie can be reached by e-mail at ann.hardie@ymail.com.
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