ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Meet Kendall, The Baseball Star!

BY KENDRA ROGERS, MS

Kendall is a Detroit Tigers, hot pink loving baseball star who found normalcy in a sport where bats and balls fly! Despite challenges during summer months when school services are not present, Kendall has been thriving playing her beloved sport with Miracle League Baseball. Now 19, Kendall found her normalcy at age 10 with parents and kids gathering to play ball in their own way. Her mother, Jill, shares that “finding support for a special needs child or adult is crucial for emotional well-being, practical advice, and community.” Miracle League Baseball has provided this sense of community, and even camaraderie, that Kendall and her family need!

Jill laments summertime, too, when school is on break and schedules change leaving a void in the daily expectations. A time many families look forward to is, instead, permeated with disruption to routine and lack of community that is so desperately needed. As Kendall ages and begins to look toward adulthood, support from parents experiencing similar is paramount to her family’s well-being and connectedness.

Doctors, therapies, and educators are important puzzle pieces in the lives of special needs families, but the community is moreso.

When Kendall finishes with the adult transition program in her school district, she hopes to work in a bakery. She loves watching “Kids’ Baking Championship” which fuels her fire to reach her goals through the community-based instruction her school provides. The hope is that all the students will reach their full potential just like everyone else!

As Kendall surges forward with her passions of baseball and baking while listening to One Direction, her family and community support her thanks to the connections forged with Miracle League Baseball and Club Create at The Hawk.