Leesville High School students who are looking for ways to volunteer and help the community this year have plenty of options. The Miracle League of the Triangle is an organization that lets high-school and adult people help young special-needs children participate in America’s national pastime, baseball. The kids who come love to play, and the people who volunteer love to help.
The Miracle League itself is a massive organization; thousands of chapters exist in America and as far off as Australia. It was founded decades ago with the belief that “every child deserves a chance to play baseball.” Whether you’re a baseball expert, or only know the fundamentals, the league is still happy to have you.
Volunteers generally work in “shifts” of a few hours. After being instructed by a safety advisor, each volunteer is paired with a buddy, a special-needs child who wishes to play baseball. The teams take turns batting, scoring runs, and most importantly having fun.
“I’m glad I decided to come here. I had a lot of fun.,” said one Miracle League volunteer.
In a game, all players get a turn at the bat, and with the help of their buddies, each batter gets to score, trying as many times as he or she needs to hit the ball, with the last batter in the rotation earning a home run to end the inning. Miracle League games aren’t competitive, some of the kids just prefer to play catch with their buddies in the outfield.
While volunteering with the league does qualify as community service hours, you can get much more out of it if you really want to be there and contribute to the community. If you are interested in volunteering for the Miracle League or have a special needs child who may be interested in playing, the best way learn more would be through the Miracle League website.
