The Miracle League North Texas

by Caylie Howard | photos courtesy of Jeff Fisher

In today’s day and age, we are becoming more and more focused and committed to teaching the young people of today to be accepting and inclusive of everyone. That’s why having the gift of Miracle League, and all that Miracle League represents, come to Flower Mound is such a huge step for our local community.

The very first Miracle League began in Georgia in April of 2000 as a way to give people of all ages with special needs the opportunity to get out of the stands and onto the baseball field. “We’ve got kids that have siblings that play baseball. They’ve grown up watching them play the game. Now the tables have turned and they’re the ones that are playing and their siblings are cheering them on,” Jeff Fisher, Executive Director of Miracle League North Texas, said.

On that opening day in 2000, the rosters had grown to more than 120 eager and excited players. And just like that, the wonderful gift of Miracle League spread across the country. Currently, there are 320 active Miracle League organizations including in places such as Puerto Rico, Canada, as well as the newest member of the organization, Australia.

“We’re always looking for players,” Jeff said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are. We are all about being inclusive. We want you to come out and have fun.” The town of Flower Mound had its first Miracle League season in the fall. “We were only expecting about 20 kids or so, but we ended up starting with 43. It blew our expectations out of the water. We never closed registration, so we ended up finishing the season with 57 kids,” Jeff said. By word of mouth, Miracle League in Flower Mound spread like wildfire. “We ended up adding a whole new team at the end of the season because of how many players we had,” Jeff said.

Miracle League North Texas in Flower Mound found its home at Baker’s Field Park on one of their softball fields. However, Jeff noticed that the kids in wheelchairs didn’t have the easiest time on the traditional fields. “We’re hoping by the fall of 2022, we will have raised enough funds to purchase turf for the softball field, making it easier on the kids,” Jeff said.

It goes without saying that Miracle League of Flower Mound wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of the Flower Mound Youth Sports Association (FMYSA) and the Town of Flower Mound. “They have both been so incredibly supportive,” Jeff said.

Miracle League of North Texas’ mission statement is to provide children and young adults the opportunity to play baseball regardless of their abilities.

“The most rewarding part of all of this is getting to see the smiles and pure joy on these kids’ faces,” Jeff said. And thanks to the help of the staff, volunteers, along with everyone who has had a hand in Making Miracle League a success, it’s looking like Miracle League will be creating that joy for many years to come.

miracleleaguentx.com 214.923.4421