The Miracle League Program removes the barriers that keep children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities off the baseball field and lets them experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime. The program provides our athletes the opportunity to play in the field, to hit the baseball, circle the bases and score a run! Athletes have the option to hit the ball from a batting tee or to hit a pitched baseball, depending upon ability and experience. Most importantly, the Miracle League is about making new friends, building self-esteem and being treated just like other athletes.
Our baseball field, named the Dr. Richard Tami Miracle Field located at George Hellwig Memorial Park, has a special, rubberized surface that accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices while helping to prevent injuries. The field has the look-and-feel of real baseball field, complete with a green outfield, a 60’ diamond-shaped infield with embedded bases and baselines, a pitcher’s mound, and dugouts for spending time with friends.
Each player is assigned a volunteer from our “Angels in the Outfield Buddies” program who can assist athletes with hitting, catching, throwing, and circling the bases. Buddies can be family members, schoolmates, parents, college students, little league teams, softball teams, business leaders…anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives of our special athletes!
“At the heart of it, the Miracle League is really about support—being able to support these children and their families, and provide opportunities for them to grow and learn, and really to just have fun—that’s what it’s all about.”
– Mac Slover, coordinator of the Miracle League program for Sports Services, Prince William County Department of Parks and Recreation
History
The universal-access baseball field used by the Miracle League of Prince William County was funded through a public/private partnership with Dr. Richard Tami, Field of Dreams, Inc., and the Miracle League of Prince William County. The Miracle League of Prince William County was started in 2022 by Sports Services, Prince William County Department of Parks and Recreation.
“The most powerful support I ever received in completing this project was from two families that had children in the program, that independently told me on opening day, God bless you.”
– Dr. Richard Tami, Field of Dreams, Inc.
Goals of Our Program
- Promote the physical and mental well-being of our athletes
- Provide opportunities for athletes with special needs in Prince William County and the surrounding area
- Eliminate the barriers associated with playing baseball on natural grass fields used in conventional leagues
- Provide resources and networking opportunities for our special families
- Promote community support, partnerships, and sponsorship of the Miracle League of Prince William County
Game Format
- All games are played on Saturdays in the Fall and the Spring. Each season generally runs for 6 weeks.
- There will be two games each Saturday, and each game is one hour in length. The earlier game is for our younger athletes, and the later game is for our older athletes. Players and families will be notified of their game slot in advance of the first game.
- Game A: 8:45–9:45 am
- Game B: 10:00–11:00 am
- Each game will have two innings unless the games need to be shortened due to weather or a large number of participants.
- Each player will have the opportunity to play in the field, bat, and circle the bases each inning.
- Every hit is a home run and scores! And there are no strikeouts :)
- No scores or standings are recorded.
- Gloves, bats, soft baseballs, and batting tees will be provided each game day.
- Games will have an announcer and coaches for the bases.
- Between innings, players and buddies are invited to the infield to sing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”.
- After the game, players and buddies are invited to the infield for music and dancing!
The National Miracle League
Visit miracleleague.com to learn more about The Miracle League and its history.
Other Local Miracle Leagues
The Miracle League of Prince William County has a close relationship with other Miracle League programs in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Please visit the following links to learn more about these great programs.
