First-year Rancocas Valley High School softball coach Alexis D’Amico is a speech therapist at the Yale School.
So when her senior player Katie Dick told her about the Buddy Ball league she runs on Sunday mornings - which caters to special needs players - D’Amico was all in and agreed to help out.
She joins five of her players as well as about a half-dozen RV baseball players and coaches at the Sacred Heart CYO Complex in Hainesport, where many of the players started playing baseball and softball themselves.
“It’s obviously very near and dear to my heart,” said D’Amico of working with children with challenges. “It’s awesome. I love it. It’s a great way for high school kids to be exposed to that population and give back to the community.
“Katie is there every week with her clipboard and assigning buddies to players. She matches the players with students who have an appropriate level of experience. I usually work with a non-verbal player who uses an AAC device,” D’Amico continued, referring to the speech-to-text device one player uses, “so as a speech therapist it’s right up my alley. She even gave me a flyer to give to my Yale kids. She accepts everybody. It’s like organized chaos, but it’s run very well.”
Dick came up for the idea of starting a Buddy Ball league last year. Her father is a trainer who worked with an autistic child whose family she is close to, and it made her think of ways she could help others who are less fortunate.
“I started in the winter making flyers and passing them out to special services schools, and we had about 20 sign up and we had a great first year,” said Dick. “This year, all but one came back and we grew by eight to nine kids.
“We play almost every Sunday though April and May. We have a tee-ball structure where we bat through the lineup and the last kid hits a home run. It’s up to the ability of each player. Some use a tee. Some we soft toss, but we try our best to get a good game going.”
The players have buddies who help them field, hit and navigate the bases as well as for safety on hard-hit balls. That’s where Dick’s softball teammates and coach, as well as many members of the baseball team, among others, come in.
“Coach (Dan) Haverstick, our varsity baseball coach, asked a couple players if they had time to get involved and a lot of us did,” said senior baseball player Jake Bartletta. “It’s a different perspective. Not everybody gets an opportunity to be in an organized league. I enjoy making these kids smile. I think everybody should have an opportunity to play baseball and enjoy something we all love.”
In addition to the games themselves, the league raises money to take the players on outings. Both the baseball and softball teams do fundraising games to help provide opportunities.
Baseball combined with Cherry Hill West for a game and sold tee-shirts to help with their fund-raising contest.
“My varsity softball team had a give-back game and it raised about $3,000. We went to a Trenton Thunder game, got two suites and gave them a sensory-friendly experience,” Dick said, referring to a ballpark experience specially designed to minimize sensory overload, creating a more comfortable environment for kids on the autism spectrum, who may be sensitive to loud or sensory-heightened situations.
The Buddy Ball games last about an hour-and-a-half, and D’Amico says she notices how much being able to play means to the players in the game - as well as the buddies who are helping out.
“We have kids in wheelchairs, one student with no range of motion but they’re all smiling and laughing,” said D’Amico. “I think our (RV) players all love it. They’re with all their friends and hanging out and giving back. It’s team bonding, and I think it teaches them patience and having a positive mindset.”
Dick said it’s not just the looks on the players’ faces but those of their parents that she appreciates seeing on a weekly basis.
“I think it’s been better to be honest to see how much it means to the parents and families,” said Dick. “Just for them to be able to sit in the bleachers and watch their kids. I didn’t realize how much it meant to them. I think that’s something you take that for granted.”
Dick will be attending Villanova next year - though not playing varsity softball - and Bartletta will be playing baseball at Rowan. Since they are both local, they hope to stay involved and keep the momentum they have with the town’s Buddy Ball program going.
“I’ve known Katie and her dad since middle school and they always want to help out with good causes, and I like to give back as well,” said Bartletta. “I think it’s very special. It’s what RV is all about, giving everybody the same chance we have and baseball and softball have come together to do it.”
Bill Evans can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him at @bybillevans.
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