Our Baseball Games
The mission of the Miracle League of Las Vegas is to provide children and adults with cognitive and/or physical challenges in the greater Las Vegas community the opportunity to play baseball in a safe and nurturing environment. Our games are played with soft, foam balls and foam or plastic bats, on a soft, spongy playing surface, allowing our special athletes to enjoy physical and mental stimulation, and build greater self-esteem. We even have misters in the dugouts, for when it gets a bit warm out there! The Miracle League of Las Vegas gives players a sense of team pride and inclusion just like their able-bodied peers that play the game of baseball, and many players in our program have shown improved dexterity, mobility, and verbal and social skills. We strive at all times to make Miracle League fun for all, and to help our “differently-abled” athletes feel just like major league ball players!
Games are 2 innings and last approximately 1 hour; every player bats, every player circles the bases, and every player scores each inning (last one up gets a Home Run). Every player is introduced (nicknames encouraged!) by the game-day announcer, who calls the play-by-play action for the families and spectators. Players have the option to have their own “walk-up” music play during their at-bat, and our players’ pictures and nicknames are displayed on our new LED scoreboard as they come to the plate to bat. Everyone at the field (fans, too!) does the world-famous Miracle League of Las Vegas Chicken Dance between innings! Games end in a tie score, so each team wins. Teams are named for Major League Baseball teams, and every player receives a new uniform shirt and new ball cap in team colors and logo every season.
Family members, and community youth and adult volunteers serve as “Buddies” to assist the players throughout the games. Players are paired with a Buddy, both at bat and while in the field, for the entire game. Las Vegas entertainers, sports celebrities like Alex Tuch of the Vegas Golden Knights, and Star Wars characters, Super Heroes and Minions are frequent participants in the games, too! And you’re likely to see Homer, our very own mascot, cheering for our special athletes during the games. A day at the Miracle League ballpark is truly a family-friendly experience and often a welcome respite for our Miracle League families from the demands of everyday care-giving responsibilities. One of our players, Jeremiah, said it best: “I love playing baseball and ask my Mom nearly every day if today is Miracle League.”
After all, everyone deserves a chance to play baseball…
