Upstate Tennis Teams Volunteer at Carolina Miracle League
4/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Boiling Springs, S.C. – Giving back to the community has always been a fundamental attribute associated with USC Upstate student-athletes, and Monday was no different as the Spartan tennis teams donated nearly two hours of time volunteering at the Carolina Miracle League.
The Carolina Miracle League is where physically and mentally challenged children are paired with able-bodies volunteer "buddies" who assist them in batting, catching, throwing and running. Every child gets a turn at bat and in the outfield and every child crosses home plate.
The point of the game is less about baseball and more about fun. The benefits gained by everyone involved are tremendous. The child's self-esteem grows, he or she makes friends, becomes less isolated and "just becomes a regular kid, not a kid with a disability."
"Seeing the happiness on the faces of the kids and how appreciative they were of us being out there with them meant so much to me," Upstate senior Yvon Haessig said. "They had so much fun even though some of them were unable to completely participate, and it definitely made me want to go back and do it again."
The Miracle League Organization began in Georgia when a boy in a wheelchair showed up to play in a youth baseball game. It was determined that the grassy turf would be very difficult for wheelchairs, walkers and braces to navigate, and bumps and the irregular surface made moving around the field awkward and dangerous. It became evident that conventional baseball fields were inadequate for children with disabilities.
This spawned the idea to build a field with a special surface that was safe and easy to navigate for those with disabilities. A field was designed with a custom synthetic turf and handicapped accessible dugouts, restrooms and drinking fountains. This was the beginning of what is now called The Miracle League.
"Miracle League was a great event for our athletes to help others with disabilities enjoy the fun of playing a sport and being part of a team," Upstate head coach Oliver Trittenwein said. "It's a wonderful thing to see our athletes working with the kids and adults and realizing how fortunate they are to be in a position to play at the collegiate level."
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