• Loading stock data...
Thursday, March 28, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

The Miracle League

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be sure to come back each week as interns from around the country share their summer experiences with us!

By: Lauren Benda, @LaurenBenda

The West Michigan Miracle League is an organization that believes every child deserves the chance to play baseball. It also exemplifies the fact that the only disability in life is a bad attitude. My time with the Whitecaps has not only been a learning experience in my professional life, but it has also shown me that baseball is changing lives. Whether it is watching your favorite Major League player hit a walk-off home run to win the World Series or getting a foul ball tossed to you, memories are created through baseball. For me, my all-time favorite baseball memory is volunteering with the West Michigan Miracle League. That was the day I realized that we all have the power to do something, and everybody can achieve anything.

The West Michigan Miracle League is an organization that allows anybody with physical or mental disabilities to play baseball on Nate Hurwitz Field, a field that is specially designed with larger dug outs and a modified playing surface allowing a wheelchair to move freely.

Photo Courtesy: West Michigan Whitecaps

On May 28th we took 10 Whitecaps players to the field to host a clinic, and each one of them got put in their respective positions helping each child accomplish either fielding, batting or pitching. It was truly inspiring seeing the professional baseball players interact with the kids.

However, the best part of the day was seeing each one of the guys become more grateful for their ability to play a sport so freely. It was the biggest reminder of how blessed they are to be able to not worry about the physical and mental demands of the sport like some people do.

Then, on June 11th, the Whitecaps staff got the opportunity to volunteer with the West Michigan Miracle League. Upon arrival you get to pick a buddy to spend the two hours with. My buddy was Johnathan (I may be a little biased, but he was the best). We got to hit with them, run the bases and help them play the field.

Photo Courtesy: West Michigan Whitecaps

Johnathan loved baseball, but he also loved to act like he was a spaceship landing on the ground and would pop a squat whenever he wanted. We were a match made in heaven. He also loved hugs, and loved every person he met. He also showed passion for what he was doing. There was a moment when he couldn’t hit the ball, and he stepped back and took a deep breathe then tried again until he hit the ball off the tee.

He made me realize that life is great in the smallest ways, and that if you have a positive attitude things will always get better. Baseball teaches perseverance, character and dedication. You never realize how much baseball is changing lives until it hits you right in the face and changes your life through little moments.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Key Takeaways of “Lessons from an Intern”

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be…

True Challenges of an Intern

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be…

A Lesson on Confidence: Walk Like A Matador

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be…

5 Takeaways From My Summer Internship

By: Todd Rogers, @Todd_TTU My summer internship here at ACU has finally…
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

MLB Opens Season With MLBPA, Ohtani, and Ownership Dramas

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S
March 24, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.
March 23, 2024

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Inside the Big East’s Bizarre Online Subculture

Peeling back the curtain on the ‘phenomenally weird’ Big East online ecosystem.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers
Sponsored

How Sportradar and the NBA are Partnering to Fuel Fan Engagement

How Sportradar and the NBA are utilizing data to enhance fan engagement
Oakland-A's
April 25, 2023

Oakland A’s Could Share Stadium with Triple-A Team

The Oakland A’s could be searching for a place to play.
Sponsored

MLS’ Chris Schlosser on Pioneering the Digital-First Sports League with AI

Chris Schlosser discusses MLS’s growth and digital transformation.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
Titans stadium.
April 19, 2023

Titans’ Historic New $2.1B Stadium One Step Closer to Reality

About $1.26B in public money would go toward the new stadium.
Crypto-markets-sports-sponsorship
May 20, 2022

Crypto Crash Impact on Sports Sponsorships

Prior to the last two weeks, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, exchanges, and a host…
Insights-Wearables-Consumers
March 11, 2022

The Evolution of Consumer Wearables

The wearables market has seen incredible amounts of growth since the onset of the pandemic. Trends like telemedicine and remote patient monitoring have helped spur adoption and inspired new consumer products that allow for the tracking and collection of biometric data.
February 11, 2022

The Role of Live Sports in Streaming

The streaming wars have intensified as the field is as competitive as ever. One way to retain customers? The answer might be live sports.