LEXINGTON, Ky. — One of the Kentucky head coach Gary Henderson’s cornerstones in building a well-rounded baseball program is for the players to be active in the community throughout the year. During the fall, the UK program took time to participate in the Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League at Lexington’s Shillito Park.
“The impact the UK baseball team has on our players is immeasurable and long lasting,” Miracle League President Christian Stevenson said. “For our kids to get a chance to interact with some of their heroes means so much not only to our players and parents but to the entire TBML community. The players not only participate in the games but also go out of their way to give each child individual attention. It says so much about the leadership of the program, the quality of players being recruited, and lends itself to common community goals of normalcy and inclusion. It’s a tradition that we look forward to every season and feel blessed to have been included with such a great group of talented student athletes at the University of Kentucky.”
The UK team participated with the Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League during the fall, with the league geared towards helping handicapped children in a youth baseball league. The program provides children who may not have the chance to play youth baseball a state-of-the-art venue for participating in the game.
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“Baseball is not the only reason we are here. Coach Henderson wants to here to play baseball, go to school and give back to the community. The kids really have a bigger impact on us then we do for them.”
– So., OF Lucas Witt
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“It means a lot to be able to see those kids and help out,” UK sophomore outfielder Lucas Witt said. “It is pretty cool that they were able to create such a neat environment to play baseball. I couldn’t imagine growing up without the ability to play baseball. Every time you go there it is special.”
“The Miracle League is such a powerful program,” UK head coach Gary Henderson said. “We love to be a part of the league and to be able to have any type of hand in bringing smiles to the kid’s faces. Baseball is a special game and to see some of the children get a chance to experience the thrill of the game in such a safe and comforting setting is an amazing experience. Every second that our student-athletes get to spend at the Miracle League is a life-impacting moment and we are so happy we have the chance to participate.”
Since the Miracle League debuted in Lexington in 2007, the Wildcats have been a fixture in the program, volunteering to serve as game “buddies” for competitors.
“It meant a lot,” Witt said about the impact the league had on UK’s team. “Talking to some of our guys that are from different places, they said it was cool and was something they had never been a part of before. I was talking with (freshman infielder) Max Kuhn about it and he talked about how good it made him feel to help out and how he was a better person for the experience. Baseball is not the only reason we are here. Coach Henderson wants to here to play baseball, go to school and give back to the community. The kids really have a bigger impact on us then we do for them.”
For more information on the Bluegrass Miracle League visit: www.bluegrassmiracleleague.org
