Miracles in Allouez

On almost any summer night it is possible to find youngsters playing baseball or softball in Allouez parks. Their parents and supporters root them on and celebrate when their team comes out on top. League champions are crowned and all star players are named. Many have dreams of playing the sport in high school, college and beyond.

But in a league that plays at Optimist Park the games all end in ties. Parents and supporters cheer as hard for the opposing team’s players as their own. Each team is a championship team and all of the players are all stars. This is the Miracle League of Green Bay.

Begun in 2006 by the Allouez Optimist Club, the Miracle League is part of a national organization that provides an opportunity for children with physical or cognitive challenges to play baseball. The league is open to children from the ages of four to nineteen. Sponsors supply the resources to provide uniforms for the players as well as balls, bats, helmets and catcher’s equipment.

The idea for the Green Bay Miracle League was brought to the area by Paul Leigois. As an Optimist Club member, he brought the idea of using Optimist Park in Allouez to the Allouez Optimists. The Allouez Optimists agreed to pay the Miracle League Association fee and Leigois went to work forming a Board of Directors, raising funds, and locating sponsors. That first year the league had 65 players and games were played on the dirt and grass field.

By 2007 enough funding had been secured that a rubberized handicap accessible field had been installed. There were paved walkways, a concession stand, handicap accessible restrooms and improvements made to the playground area within the park. Major donors were Dick Resch of KI and the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation. The field is named Resch Miracle Field and the adjacent playground is known as the Favre Family Miracle Recreation Area.

That second season saw the number of players double and participation has continued to increase. Over 200 children participated during the 2016 season. New players join each year and there are several who have played every season.

The Miracle League not only creates a great opportunity for the players but is also an excellent volunteer experience. Each player has a buddy who helps him or her bat and run the bases. The buddies, known as Angels in the Outfield, go out in the field to provide a measure of safety for the players when the opposing team is at bat. Buddies must be at least fourteen years old. The games are two innings long and each player bats and scores a run twice. The pitcher and catcher positions are rotated among the players each inning.

The coaches and league leaders do everything they can to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for the players. Each game begins with the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner” and the raising of the American flag in left field. An announcer introduces players as they come to bat and then when they cross home plate. Between the first and second inning players, buddies and coaches sing along to a recording of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” or “Jump Around”. Throughout the game words of encouragement are cried out to players no matter what team they are on. The league has special celebrations to open and close the season. Players who have aged out are recognized during closing ceremonies and each player receives a trophy.

Carley Phillips joined the Miracle League in its first year when she was seven years old. A child with physical and cognitive disabilities, over the past eleven seasons she has learned to hit a pitched ball independently, pitch and catch, and follow the flow of the game. Her mother, Coach Jan Phillips, says that when the family goes by Optimist Park Carley will say, “There’s my Miracle Field.” Jan said that even more important than the baseball skills Carley has learned are the friends she has made and the feeling of belonging the team provides.

In addition to what the league does for the children it also provides a network for parents. They can share the challenges as well as the successes that they all encounter as parents of special needs children. They are able to swap stories and laugh over actions that most parents would find more sad than funny. The networking extends beyond the season as parents keep in touch sharing information on doctors, medications and programs available for their children.

While there may be winners and losers on other Allouez ball diamonds throughout the summer, there are only champions on the Miracle League field at Optimist Park.