Now everyone has a chance to play baseball.
The Angels baseball team meets at Riverside Park at 10 a.m. each Saturday through June for a game of pick-up baseball. The game is designed to give kids with special needs a chance to play ball, instead of sitting on the sidelines.
“Our hope is to get these kids involved and let them participate,” Matt Skahan, an organizer, said. “A lot of them have siblings who played sports, so they’ve seen their brothers or sisters play sports and have been down to the games. This is just a way for them to be the star for the day.”
In the first week, 15 kids were able to play. This past Saturday, 21 participated.
Skahan became involved with the organization of the Angels because of his son Mason, 5.
“My son has special needs,” Skahan said. “I guess there has been a team that was more geared toward adults. We decided to get the older kids involved.”
Skahan said his wife, Lesley, is one of the founders of the MOMs group.
Mothers of Miracles is a support group made up of moms whose kids have medical complexities, life-limiting conditions or developmental disabilities. Other organizers are Kelsey Botts, Karen Nicholas, Amy Welch and Leann Church.
Matt said Lesley’s involvement with MOMs opened his eyes to the possibilities of activities for kids with special needs.
“The team has been around and Joy Riebel asked me early this spring or late winter if I would take it over,” Skahan said. “So, that’s where the idea came from and we expanded on it. Hopefully, we will get bigger and better each year.”
After June, Skahan said the team will probably resume games in the fall — once the heat has passed.
Angels in the outfield
