What is the Miracle League? 

It is hope, determination, and the display of human spirit that is unequaled. There is something about playing the game that lights up a youngster’s eyes. And of course…there’s baseball. The miracle league removes the barriers that keep mentally and physically disabled children off the baseball field.

•  Every player bats once each inning.
•  All base runners are safe.
•  Every player scores a run before the inning is over (last one up gets a home run).
•  Community volunteers (youth and adults) serve as “Buddies” to assist the players.
•  Each team and each player wins every game

When Buck McClendon attended his first Rotary meeting, the one person he spotted in the crowd was John Watson. He went straight to Mr. Watson, reached out his little arms, and crawled in the lap of the man that has built much of the infrastructure in
Dothan.

Not knowing the significance of his actions, this little guy touched hearts and sparked the inspiration that built the Miracle Field at Westgate Park. Buck meets no strangers and everyone knows his name. He is just like his mother, Melinda. They know no boundaries and see no obstacle too big to overcome. This amazing woman, once an executive with Macy’s, a guru in the public relations world, mother of four, wife, and now cancer fighter, simply told her story of how she wanted Buck to live a normal life,
playing baseball like his dad, Ted, who once played in the Minor Leagues. Nothing short of a Miracle!

Both the Dothan Rotary Club and the Dothan-Houston County Rotary Club supported the dream of the McClendon family and have been the channel through which the Miracle Field was built. From Architect, Builder, Contractor to Plumber, Roofer, and Surveyor, the Rotarians all gave "Service above Self" for this worthwhile venue. A custom-designed field with a cushioned rubberized surface to help prevent injuries, wheelchair accessible dugouts, and a completely flat surface to eliminate any barriers to wheelchair-bound or visually impaired players. The design also included two Dixie Boys grass fields. In addition, accessible restrooms, a concession stand, and picnic pavilion were included in the design The Miracle League has received local and national media attention Presently there are 240 Miracle League Organizations across the country including Puerto Rico, Canada and our newest member in Australia. The Miracle League is proud to serve over 200,000 children and young adults with disabilities.

“Every Citizen Deserves A Chance to Play Baseball.”
       
Our players may not be able to run the bases or hit the ball as well as their healthy peers, but they have an incredible amount of determination to play baseball.  We want to help them achieve that dream.