Field of dreams becomes a reality
Miracle League to break ground on new baseball field
By Lynn Warren CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Page Dowdy/Chesterfield Observer Miracle League President Greg Curtis, Karen Pusey and others will break ground on a new baseball field designed specifically for children with physical handicaps this weekend.

Karen Pusey's vision for a field of dreams will finally become a reality this weekend when she and others break ground on a new baseball field specially designed for children with physical handicaps.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Miracle League field will be held at the L.C. Bird High School Sports Complex this Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. The event, held in conjunction with the Opening Day Ceremonies for the Chesterfield Youth Softball Association (CYSA), will be attended by county supervisors, representatives from the Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation, Richmond Braves Assistant General Manager Bill Blackwell, other dignitaries and hundreds of Chesterfield residents.

Through a partnership with CYSA, the parks and recreation department, the Richmond Braves, dozens of local business and hundreds of contributors, the Miracle League field has been fast-tracked with a fall completion date.

Construction on the cushioned, synthetic turf, water-permeable field with painted lines and bases will begin at the end of May. Pusey and Gregory Curtis, CYSA president and now Miracle League president, are optimistic handicapped youngsters will play "fall ball" on the new field in September.

Currently, standard grass and clay Little League fields with raised bases are available for children with special needs through the Challenger League program. However, standard fields are not suitable for wheelchairs, walkers and crutches, and wet conditions make them virtually unusable for handicapped youngsters. The new Miracle League field will eliminate those barriers.

The national Miracle League Association provided the basic design for the field, but funds had to be raised - a responsibility Pusey took on herself. Starting with the Miracle Live Auction and Gala last February, the Miracle League's funds have grown to $160,000.

The original cost estimate for the field of $300,000 has now been revised downward to $209,000. In order to get the project up and running and the needs of this special group of children served as quickly as possible, some amenities have been delayed. Permanent restroom facilities and brickwork around both the dugouts and score board were put on hold.

"We cut some things back in order to get it up and going. We'll add those other things later," Pusey said.

There are more than 7,000 special needs kids in Chesterfield County who could enjoy and benefit from the Miracle League field, and businesses and civic groups as well as private citizens have recognized and responded to that need.

With Chesterfield's parks and recreation department on board as a co-sponsor, the Miracle League will be included in the department's course catalogues and other marketing efforts.