Miracle League hits a home run

Gloucester County Miracle League gives kids and young adults with special needs an opportunity to play ball

Special needs students ages 4 to 21 who live in Gloucester County have the opportunity this spring and summer to become a team player on the Gloucester County Miracle League baseball team. Starting its ninth season in April, the league continues to grow year after year.

According to Miracle League Director Sean Kahoun, there were 111 players last year, creating 10 teams; four teams were in the 4 to 12 age division and six teams were in the 13 to 21 age division. Teams this year, within the same division, will play against each other every Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m.

“The three main components of the league are socialization, athletic exercise, and confidence and building self-esteem,” Kahoun said. “That first home run they hit, they are jumping up for joy; I don’t know if they’re more happy, their parents are happy, or myself because seeing when they started at age 5, to age 14 or age 20, I’ve seen them progress and it’s truly a special circumstance.”

The Gloucester County Miracle League is organized through the Gloucester County Special Services School District. It began when former superintendent of GCSS Fred Keating approached Ryan Dougherty, a principal in the West Deptford School District. According to Kahoun, the two had a vision of building the league with the partnerships they developed with various businesses and grants. They built a field, located on the Bankbridge campus at the Bankbridge Elementary School, where they play to this day.

“Those two were really the ones with the vision, along with the Gloucester County Freeholders and Board of Education,” Kahoun said. “When it was the initial piece, it was by word of mouth, and a lot of the first-year players were anybody who attended GCSS school district. We had about four to six teams to start — maybe about 60 kids — and we got it to grow.”

Kahoun, a math and special education teacher at Pitman Middle School, joined the league by pure luck, he said. His wife, who worked at the GCSS district, approached Dougherty to see if Kahoun could be of any help. At the time, the league needed a person to announce the games and players as they walked up to bat. He then found himself a few years later in the assistant director position, and has been the director for about five years.

“I’ve been involved so long; it’s just truly a great experience. Seeing all the kids experience the opportunity to play baseball, whether it’s hitting a first home-run, or working with a buddy; nobody wins, nobody loses, every game ends in a tie, everybody bats, and I do it for the enjoyment of the kids,” Kahoun said. “It’s the relationship and rapport that I build with the kids that play and the parents. That’s the rewarding experience.”

“I look forward to the spring time when we are able to start our season up and get out there every Saturday,” coach John Wilcox said. “Watching my team as they each come up to bat and take their turn to do something they love, with their friends and family watching, is something that no words can describe until you actually come out to the field and watch.”

Wilcox began his career working the Miracle League several years ago after already working at the special needs school Bankbridge Development Center and being an assistant baseball coach for Gloucester County Institute of Technology.

“The sportsmanship amongst the players and even between the teams is nothing like you’ll ever see. They encourage each other and they cheer when their teammates finally get the home run they’ve been working on the entire game,” Wilcox said. “I do this for them. I do this for their families. It’s the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.”

For volunteers interested in getting involved with the league, they have buddies. Buddies, Kahoun explained, are volunteers who help the athletes play, whether it is social or athletic assistance. According to the website, buddies “protect the player from batted balls, assist the player batting, running the bases, and to be a friend on and off the field.” Buddies can be parents, students, siblings, other school athletes and more.

Like any other Little League program, players are given a team jersey and a hat, replicas of MLB teams such as the Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles and Mets, to name a few.

“Everyone wants to be the Phillies; a lot of players don’t want to be the Mets or the Yankees. Kids are just happy they get a hat and uniform that is theirs to keep,” Kahoun said.

The league is primarily funded through the GCSS Board of Education, but also has sponsorships, which can have their business or logo featured on the jerseys, as well as fundraisers, such as dine and donate events and car washes.

“Money is raised by the district and allocated through the Board of Education. They try to spread the wealth amongst various programs, and they look to see where the money needs to be allocated,” Kahoun said. “The board of education has been fantastic. I’m thankful they and the administration allow me to be a part of such a great program.”

April 1 will begin the season with an annual clinic hosted by the Gloucester County Institute of Technology softball team. The first games will be on April 8, and the seven-week season will continue every Saturday, excluding holidays such as Easter and Memorial Day, until June 3.

“I have been a coach for the Miracle League since it started in Gloucester County, and the best part of being involved with the league is being able to watch the children grow,” coach Jennifer Wilson said. “Some players come to us and have never played baseball before. No matter what their ability or skill level, they all get to play the same amount of innings and get the same number of chances to bat.”

On June 10, there will be an end-of-season award ceremony where players will receive participation awards, hear from the coaches and celebrate the past season.

“It’s a good organization to take part in; all of the coaches are tremendous,” Kahoun said. “I’m just the director. If it wasn’t for the coaches, the parents, players and school board, I’m fortunate that I get to be a part of something so special.”

For more information on the Miracle League, visit www.gcsssd.org.