A field of dreams for kids with special needs

Max and I got invited to CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camp in Boston. One of us was really psyched to go.... and it wasn't Max. I know how awesome the camp is after writing about it last year. During the one-day experience at Fenway Park,  kids and teens on inclusive baseball teams get pointers from Red Sox batting coach Dave Magadan, pitch on the field, get a behind-the-scenes tour and see a game. 

But Max has stadium-phobia. I showed him some photos of the camp and he kept saying "Nooooooo." So off I went. I figured maybe once he saw how much fun I had with the kids there, he'd want to go next year. That old make-him-jealous thing.

The camp is in its eighth season; the day I was there, the Cheshire Challengers, a Little League Challenger Division from Connecticut, plus one player from The Miracle League were visiting. From the moment the kids lined up outside the stadium to get in, they were beyond excited. Also cool: It's Fenway Park's 100th season.

I didn't think it wise to mention I'm a Yankees fan, though Coach Magadan won my heart.

First up: a batting clinic in the batting cage the Red Sox use to warm up and practice. Coach Magadan gave pointers on positioning, swinging, keeping your eye on the top of the ball. But he was also an amazing cheerleader. 

Next, the kids headed out to the field. It's gloriously green and lush, and I had serious lawn envy. I had a big, loopy grin on my face as I watched the kids at bat, looking determined and proud. I almost got walloped by a ball a couple of times. "I think they're aiming for you!" Coach Magadan said, laughing. When one kid whacked one out to center field, Magadan remarked that he'd be right at home in the game that evening. No matter how far a kid hit the ball, the coach was equally encouraging.

Right about now, you might be wondering how your child can get involved. The camp is open to inclusive teams in New England, and accepts 10 different teams each year. Applications are available starting in April or May; keep your eye out for them on the CVS Caremark All Kids Can Facebook page next spring.

The players and their coaches

Lunch in the dugout

Wally stopped by, too.

Later that day, the kids returned to Fenway to watch Red Sox batting practice and a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. On the train ride home, I thought of Max and just how much his Challenger team has done for his confidence. It's certainly changed my idea of what makes for a good baseball game. It's not about how far you hit the ball or how fast you get to a base—it's about doing it on your own terms, as people stand by cheering you on. And that's something generally good to keep in mind when you're raising a kid with special needs. 

This is one of a series of posts sponsored by CVS Caremark All Kids Can, a commitment to helping children of all abilities be the best they can be. Like them on Facebook!

Max plays ball!

Here, at last, captured on video. Watch out, Derek Jeter!

Baby-steps baseball

So, Sunday morning was Max's first baseball game, ever. We got him onto a Little League Challenger Division team. Dave and I left Sabrina at home with my sister and took Max, so we could give him all our attention.

Max basically wigged out for the first hour. Even though he loves baseball, he still gets unnerved in new settings. There were a lot of kids and parents running around, and lots of cheering.


He did calm down for a few minutes and tossed a ball around. But then he realized he needed to wail, so he went back to it.

Every kid was assigned a volunteer teen. There were also several coaches on hand. One of them, Kim, finally grabbed Max and took him, wailing, onto the field. Where he continued to wail and look around for us.

That's when I got into a conversation with Marge, the woman who started the team. Years ago, she went to find a baseball team for her daugher, who has disabilities, but she couldn't a team who would take her. So she started fundraising to build a field. And an amazing thing happened: a local woman who had lost her 26-year-old husband in the Pan Am flight that crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland read a story in the paper about Marge. This woman had won a settlement after her husband's death. And she donated the money to build the field. Incredible, right?

So, Max kept crying. Finally, I decided he'd had enough and grabbed him. And then, of course, he did the sign for "more."


After that, they got him up to bat, helped him hit the ball and he ran the bases.


Then he played the field.


Then he'd really had enough, so we made our way over to the snack table and he downed one croissant and one jelly donut.


Then he drove us home.

Dave hasn't said much, but he's thrilled. I know he's felt bummed over the years that he didn't have a little boy he could play sports with in the way he'd always imagined. Now, Max has the baseball bug. We went over to Target and picked up a tee ball set along with a lightweight bat and balls he could easily grip. And he played with it the entire afternoon and until it got dark, squealing with joy. Sabrina didn't even try to hog it (OK, she was preoccupied with the new Ariel doll we got her after the last one had an unfortunate encounter with Flarp).

It was a day none of us will ever forget.