Miracle League of the Desert lights up Brehm Park every Monday for their 11th Spring Season
The Miracle League of the Desert played their season opener on Monday, April 20, a week after the regularly scheduled opener that was postponed due to weather. Reporter Robert Haydon went down to watch the first game and talk with players and organizers about the league and the role is plays here in the hi-desert.
Listen to the story here:
I went down to Brehm Park in Yucca Valley and while the wind had picked up in the afternoon it had calmed down enough by 6:00 p.m. to play ball, and a good sized crowd had gathered at the Miracle League field. The Miracle League of the Desert is the only baseball league in the Morongo Basin designed for children and adults with disabilities and they have been playing ball in the hi-desert for the last 11 years. They are supported by the Basin Wide Foundation along with community members who came down for a single game over a decade ago and haven’t stopped coming back.
Volunteer run for over a decade
Samantha Clement is one of those volunteers keeping the game going. Currently Samantha teaches special education in Twentynine Palms, something that she says may not have happened if she didn’t come to that first game 11 years ago.
“I had never really been around very many disabled people and so I started coming out and realized they’re just like everybody else. They just want friends, they want to be recognized, they want to be a part of the community, they want to play sports and have fun. It just fills up your cup… it really does. It just makes me happy to be here,” she said.
Depending on how many players sign up each week, the teams are evenly split between “Red” and “Blue” and every inning each player has a turn at home plate to swing for the fences. On opening night, San Bernardino County Firefighters were on hand to act as “buddies,” providing support for anyone needing a little assistance rounding the bases. The entire league is volunteer run and the crowd was full of spectators keeping the energy up all evening.
I wandered over to the blue team’s dugout where I talked with April about her son Joshua, who also plays in the Special Olympics as well as the Miracle League games. She says that Joshua looks forward to baseball almost more than anything, “just look at him! He’s number 14… he just smiles. This day is what he looks forward to.”
While the everyone was warming up their cheering muscles, April and her family definitely held down the Blue team’s cheering section, although they didn’t quiet down when the other team was up to bat.
April looked at me with a sly smile and said “you weren’t here last year. Last year we got in trouble! Because usually all my family is here and when Josh gets up to bat… we’re very loud. So now we’ve become cheerleaders! We are the cheerleaders for everybody here.”
The League’s biggest cheerleader
Cindy Melland has been with the Miracle League of the Desert for all 11 years and not only has she been instrumental in bringing the Miracle League to the hi-desert, but she also oversaw the creation of the Miracle League field that the teams will be playing on over the next few months. There are eight games total in the Spring season, and six more in the Fall. Cindy was busy helping with sign-ups during the season opener, but when the game begins she stayed right behind home plate offering encouragement and tips to every player by name.
One batter was having a little trouble connecting with the ball, popping a few fouls into the air. “Keep your eye on it, Lexi!” she shouts from the sidelines while telling a coach that she needs to “choke up on the bat” to get more control on her swings.
Lexi adjusts her grip and swings at the next one, knocking a grounder toward first and putting her on base and sending her teammates to home plate in celebration.
Cindy turns to me and says “I’ve been doing this a minute” before letting out a huge whistle and cheers as the team rounds the bases. Cindy is cheering, I’m cheering, the crowd is cheering… it’s a great night of baseball.
“It’s one place that they get to be really proud of themselves,” Cindy says.
Cindy says that in the 11 years she has been doing, they dispensed with some of the “pomp and circumstance” and just focus on playing real baseball. “They play under the lights. They play with an announcer. Other kids don’t get this, you know… they don’t. But these kids deserve every bit of it” she tells me in between cheers.
Each of the players that night were wearing hats commemorating Coach Stacey Schooler, who had passed away in January. Stacey was also active at the Miracle League of the Desert and is remembered as making every player feel seen, celebrated, and loved.
You could feel the love there on opening night, too. Especially around Cindy.
Games typically last a little bit over an hour, depending on how many players sign up between 5:00 and 6:00, and how many players hit dingers towards the back wall like Martin Stanovich, the last batter of the night’s opening game.
He swings hard and knocks one to the outfield, bringing everyone who is one base around to home plate to score. High-fives and hugs were shared by both teams on the pitcher’s mound as players, coaches, firefighters, and volunteers all celebrated a great opening night.
Cheerleaders, sports fans and “buddies” all welcome at the Miracle League
After the game, I got to meet Josh, who wears #14 on his Miracle League jersey. His mother April and their family cheered the entire game and for every single player. Josh says that he loves baseball and playing centerfield, and when I asked him why folks should come down to watch a game and join the cheering section, he thought for a second and said “for fun!”
The Miracle League of the Desert play every Monday evening until June 5th. Sign-ups and batting practice begins at 5:00 o’clock and the game starts at 6:00.
