Put Me in Coach, I’m Ready to Play

Washington Nationals may have retired the curly “W” from their home turf, but the distinguishing red letter lives on at the new Washington Nationals Miracle Field, a specially designed baseball field for players with mental and physical disabilities, which opened Monday in Germantown.

At Miracle Field, baseball rules, equipment size and measurements are modified to accommodate any willing players. Centerfield is 130 feet away from the home plate. The turf is made from synthetic rubber piled about a half inch high to accommodate players on wheelchairs and other ambulatory aids. Additionally, all Miracle League players have high school student buddies to help them hit and run bases or assist as needed.

The project is a partnership among Montgomery County, local charities and the Washington Nationals and is estimated to cost $1 million. Montgomery County Department of Recreation will be managing the Montgomery County Miracle League.  The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Montgomery Parks will be responsible for maintaining the field. 

James Leder, who heads the Miracle League of Montgomery County and helped bring the inclusive baseball field to the state, said he got the idea five years ago, after hearing a wheelchair bound player from Conyers, Ga., tell an audience how much he appreciated the ability to play baseball.

“I came home and I’d say someone inoculated me,” he said, trying to explain his desire to build a wheelchair accessible mound in Maryland. “I could not get it out of my head.  Maybe I will get it out of my head today.”

Councilman Craig Rice, who represents Germantown’s district 2, relayed an experience he had had with his disabled cousin when they were younger.

“(This field) is going to mean so much to many of you,” Rice said. “I know how difficult it was to find places for Trevor to go outside, and so many times we just walked up and down the neighborhood streets. But to actually have a level of inclusion to where these children will be able to do the same things that their counterparts do, we have broken down barriers today.”

Parent Debbie Sahlin said she takes her wheelchair bound son Ryan everywhere she goes, but she just could not find a group sport that would let him join. 

“There are about 180,000 disabled children in Montgomery County. How many do you see out here?” she asked. “The majority of kids you see here do not a lot have of access to programs that would allow them to participate. Everything usually has a cap where you have to be potty-trained or you have to be able to walk or you have to be able to do this and the other.”

Still, Wolf-Hirshhorn Syndrome has not stopped 9-year-old Savannah Williams of DuFief Elementary School in Rockville from playing ball. Her mother, Shaneen Williams has enrolled her in regular soccer and basketball teams.  While Williams does not worry about Savannah getting injured, she said was happy to find one more physical activity her daughter could do with added safety layers.

More than just physical activity, Williams says it is the bigger picture of large-scale inclusion that made her feel the community cared.

“I think this would make any parent cry,” she said. “To see opportunities for our children and see that people do care. It melts my heart.”