Diamond Dreams League looks forward to season
The Diamond Dreams baseball league is looking forward to the upcoming 2023 season as 62 participants have already signed up and are ready for the first pitch under the lights of Northside Park.
This baseball league for special needs children began in 2010 with 11 participants and has grown every year since.
In 2019, Yates Construction built a new wheelchair-accessible ball field with rubberized turf that makes the surface smoother and softer in case of falls.
The season takes place in September and October, with four sponsored teams playing around five games each over the two-month period.
Gamedays are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and usually start at 6 p.m.
The age for participants ranges from 5-18, as the kids can play until they graduate from high school.
“It’s all about them, they love it. They get their names called out and everybody is cheering for them, and it gives the parents a break too,” said Diamond Dreams President Michele Brown.
“I love to see when the kids jump on home plate, and everyone cheers for them. It is a place where the community comes together for the kids. It’s just a fun, relaxing time,” she said.
Coaches usually hold practice a few times before play begins, giving the kids a chance to meet one another and come together as a team.
Volunteers help out a ton during the season, whether it be by pushing the wheelchairs around the bases, receiving in-play or foul balls, or making new friendships with the children along the way.
“A lot of times the volunteers ask me when we are going to start again. It’s just really neat to see. The friendships made here are unlikely because they wouldn’t have been made anywhere else,” said Brown.
Local sponsors have been a big help with the league over the years. These include Glassworx, East Central Mississippi Health Care, Sonic, KFC, Elite Collision, Anderson’s Auto Repair, Pearl River Resort, Johnson Eye Center, and plenty more.
InSports also designs jerseys for the teams and donates as well.
After the games, some owners of these local businesses prepare food for the kids by cooking ballpark hamburgers and hotdogs or grabbing something from town.
To conclude the season, Choctaw Chief Cyrus Ben does a celebratory firework show for the players and audience in the stands to enjoy.
Sign-ups for the 2023 season is still underway. To sign up, reach Brown at (601) 416-5913 or go to the Diamond Dreams Facebook page for more information.