Miracle League

"Not only will the buddies and volunteers make an impact on the lives of the participants, the participants will forever change the lives of the buddies and volunteers," said Debbie Martin, the mother of an autistic child. "My child wants to do the day-to-day activities that all other kids can do. The League will give her the opportunity to be a part of the community."

The league runs through June 16 with games played every Saturday and will start with two or three teams. It serves participants aged 5–19 at a cost of $25 per season.

From looking at how other Miracle Leagues grew, the YMCA anticipates that hundreds of players will sign up within the first two years, Brasher said.

"Since this is the first one, it is a great opportunity to help out not only people coming to Langham Creek, but in other areas because people will travel for this," she said.

The league will use a temporary field until money is raised for the specialized field that will have a playground and restroom facilities attached to it. The project will cost more than $500,000 in total.

"We are going to start the league to get people involved and interested in it, and then we will start the capital campaign, which should take a year to a year and a half to raise the money to support the project," Brasher said.

Since the main barriers for the children arise from the natural grass fields used in conventional youth leagues, Miracle League teams play on custom-designed fields with a cushioned, rubberized surface to help prevent injuries and to facilitate the use of wheelchairs and walkers.

"Special needs kids tend to be more sedentary than other kids so this provides a health benefit by getting them moving," Brasher said. "It's also a chance for them to be a part of a team. I heard a story from a mother saying what it felt like to hear her child being announced on to the field as part of a team. It was very impactful for their family."

Cy-Fair ISD helped identify special needs students for the league and other similar youth sports organizations have assisted as well.

The Miracle League is still in need participants, volunteer coaches and buddies to partner up with the players.

Miracle League, 281-859-6143, www.ymcahouston.org/langham-creek