Buddy Baseball Service Project By: John Casullo

Project Information Buddy Baseball is a program designed for children ages 5-21 with intellectual and/or physical challenges. Everyone bats and everyone scores. All players are provided a buddy who will provide guidance and protection. The program is guided by adult directors and volunteers of all ages. Many families attend to support their relatives and turnout usually consists of a crowd of enthusiastic and understanding individuals. The Program is meant to give those with physical/ intellectual challenges an outlet to interact and be involved in something that gives them a feeling of accomplishment The program meets every Saturday from late April to early June.

My Involvement I acted as a “Buddy” who would shadow a participant with some sort of disability and assist them in keeping the game going. We provide encouragement and enthusiasm for the players and help them learn teamwork and social skills through the game of baseball. We provided a lot of assistance for the players in actual baseball instruction but also through communication and relationship skills. We received a lot in return from the players and I learned a lot about life from each and every one of them My sister has special needs and that is how I was introduced to the program. I ended up branching out and only working with her every once in a while.

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