Sports Programs Volunteers with Miracle League of the Triangle

Saturday, April 2, members of the Sports Programs staff came together and volunteered with Miracle League of the Triangle. For those who are unfamiliar, Miracle League is an adaptive baseball league for children in the area with special needs. The athletes are placed on teams and are partnered with a “buddy” who assists them during the game.

After hosting Special Olympics Flag Football and Basketball leagues during the past school year, Program Assistant Justin Hall thought it would be a good idea to begin working with the younger special needs athletes in the area as well.

“We’ve really enjoyed working with the Special Olympics athletes this past year”, said Hall. “We’re all about promoting our name and our brand in the community. We want to promote healthy, active lifestyles for more than just NC State students and faculty.”

Miracle League strives to create a fun and unique experience for all involved. There are no balls, strikes, or losers. Everyone scores and everyone wins. Fans and parents fill the stands and baselines, cheering for each athlete every step of the way and creating a truly special atmosphere. Each player gets their name announced and has their own personal “walk-up song”.

“It’s a very enjoyable experience,” said junior Laura Gigliotti. “The looks on the faces of the kids as they’re running around the bases just makes you happy. I think the volunteers might get more joy from participating than the athletes do.”

Though the Miracle League season and the NC State school year is coming to a close, Sports Programs hopes to continue to build this relationship on into next year. “We don’t want this to be simply a one time thing,” said Hall. “We want this partnership to continue to build and we want these kids to get involved with our programming when they’re older. But beyond just having them participate, we want to make an impact.”