|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As seventeen year-old Michael Traband moved up to home plate, baseball bat in hand, Bad to the Bone blasted from DJ Ray’s speakers and every eye was trained upon him. The pitch arrived and Michael cracked a base hit as the crowd roared.
He then began the painstaking process of moving to first base, using a walker because, you see, Michael has cerebral palsy. He is a member of the River Dogs team, one of the many baseball squads of children and adults with a range of physical and mental challenges who participate in the Miracle League of Miami-Dade County.
The Miracle League is a baseball program for special needs kids founded in Conyers, Georgia in 1998 and has more than 300 locations throughout the United States and abroad. The organization’s guiding principle is that everyone deserves the chance to play baseball. In 2010, the Howard Palmetto Softball Baseball Association, under the leadership of Keith Reilly and Karl Sturge, brought the Miracle League to Miami and became the 236th Miracle League partner.
In 2016, thanks to the efforts of numerous volunteers and financial assistance from the Miami Marlins and Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation, a brand-new rubberized baseball field was dedicated at Tamiami Park. There are two seasons each year, Fall and Spring, with games held on Saturday evenings.
“Michael has been playing in the Miracle League since he was a boy,” says his mother, Stephanie Traband. “This has been a Godsend because it gives him an opportunity to play baseball, be active and he’s making great friends in this program. It gives the players an opportunity to forget about the challenges they face on a daily basis and get out there on the field and have fun.”
Under Miracle League rules, every player bats each inning and plays the field each inning. The score is irrelevant.
“Everyone is a winner,” says Stephanie.
When he’s not playing baseball in the Miracle League, Michael is active in his church group and sails at Shake- A-Leg in Coconut Grove. He’s considering studying visual media or filmmaking when he attends college.
Directors Ray Rocha and Ken Fairman, along with Megan Conrath, Lynn Rocha and Kim Fairman, handle a beehive of activity at all Miracle League games, greeting families, supervising volunteers, announcing the games and coaching out on the baseball diamond. They have been involved in youth baseball for more than 20 years and clearly love what they do. And the Miracle League families love them.
“Ken and the board have invested so much of their time and attention to the Miracle League and its players. We know without question that they love these kids,” says Stephanie. “Ken is a great encourager and cheerleader for all of the teams, and not a bad pinch pitcher when called into service!”
Ken is quick to give credit for the success of the program to volunteers known as Miracle League Buddies, most of whom are high school and college students.
“Our buddies are out on the field, helping the players, offering encouragement, and making friends,” says Ken. “The Buddies get as much joy out of it as the players, and we couldn’t do it without them.”
Casi Fraga, 23, has been a Miracle League Buddy for eight years, having started as a high school student.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with people with special needs,” she explains. “Some of the kids I’ve seen grow up. I just love coming out here.”
Thanks to annual support from the Lucille & Edward Kimmel Foundation, and seasonal sponsorships from Trivest Partners and K-2 Ventures, the Miracle League has been able to provide uniforms, trophies, and end of season picnics at no cost to the families.
Says disc jockey, announcer and board member Ray Rocha, “Come one and all, it’s time to PLAY BALL!”
For information, please visit Miracle League of Miami-Dade County at their website www.mlomd.org or email them at info@mlomd.org.
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com
#thatscommunitynews #communitynewspapers #miamidade #miamidadecounty #thatscommunity #miamicommunitynews #coralgables #palmettobay #southmiami #doral #aventura #pinecrest #kendall #broward #biscaynebay
