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data di pubblicazione: 09-05-2024
The Lighthouse Guild Youth Skills Program gathered for an outing in Central Park to play the Adaptive Sport of Blind Baseball (Photo by: Ekaterina Svetova)
New York (May 7, 2024) — On Saturday, May 4, nineteen students ages six to thirteen from Lighthouse Guild’s Youth Skills Program gathered in Central Park’s Heckscher Ballfields 5 to participate in a clinic for the adaptive sport of blind baseball. The mission of the Youth Skills Program is to provide social and recreational services to legally blind children to help them build self-confidence. During the school year the students gather monthly to participate in social and recreational activities that include drama, physical education, yoga, technology, arts and crafts, and community field trips.
On hand to offer expert coaching skills, safety tips to help prevent eye injuries and to promote eye health were Jaydan Mitchell, Coordinator of Youth Programs at Lighthouse Guild; Ed Plumacher, Adaptive Technology Specialist at Lighthouse Guild, and president of the USBBA; USBBA blind baseball players coaches, and Lighthouse Guild volunteers.
The importance of this event goes beyond just playing a game; it's about showing our young people that they have a place on the field. They can compete, challenge themselves, and most importantly, have fun, like anyone else playing a sport. And let's not forget the broader benefits of sports: exercise, fitness, teamwork, resilience, friendships. “These are invaluable for all young people, especially those who might feel sidelined. When we commit to accessibility and inclusion, there really are no limits,” said Jaydan Mitchell. “We’re grateful and honored to partner once again with USBBA to offer this unique experience to our youngsters and their families. There is no measuring the impact this has for our community.”
“As part of my responsibilities at Lighthouse Guild, I am both honored and blessed to have the ability to work with our Saturday Youth Programs. As a blind/visually impaired technology instructor, I get to work with these wonderful young people to help them develop the skills needed to perform well in school, and to use technology to communicate effectively with their parents, teachers, and peers,” said Ed Plumacher.
“Our mission at USBBA affords me the opportunity to introduce a game I have always loved, and extend the social, emotional, and physical benefits team sports offer in the development of young people. Our LG Lightning team has a player who is a former participant of our Saturday Youth Program, and it is my dream to someday have one of these young people play our adaptive sport of Blind Baseball, representing the United States as a Member of Team USA at a future Paralympics.”
Len and Emily Blavatnik, say, “The foundation is proud to partner with Lighthouse Guild and support the wonderful work it is doing to bring joy and companionship through the Youth Skills Clinic. It’s a home run for everyone involved!”
Cosponsors for the fun filled event included Lighthouse Guild’s team Lightning, the USBBA, and Peperino West Side who stepped up to the plate by providing lunch, making a homerun with the students.
About Lighthouse Guild
Lighthouse Guild provides exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals, offering coordinated care for eye health, vision rehabilitation, technology, and behavioral health as well as related services. The Lighthouse Guild Technology Center provides people with vision loss access to the latest assistive devices and state-of-the-art technology. The Lighthouse Guild podcast series, “On Tech & Vision with Dr. Cal Roberts,” offers information and insights about technological innovations that are tearing down barriers for people who are blind or visually impaired.
About the Blavatnik Family Foundation
The Blavatnik Family Foundation supports world-renowned educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and across the globe. Led by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries, the Foundation advances and promotes innovation, discovery, and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to over 250 organizations.
About United States Blind Baseball Association – USBBA
The United States Blind Baseball Association (USBBA) was founded following Team USA’s bronze medal win at the 2022 WBSC Inaugural Blind Baseball International Cup, and has been established as a charitable, non-profit corporation. USBBA is dedicated to the development, management, regulation and promotion of Blind Baseball teams, players, coaches, volunteers, and umpires in the United States.
Building on their accomplishments, the USBBA are developing youth and adult baseball programs in New York and across America, and plan on presenting a better skilled and developed team to represent the United States in the 2024 WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup in London, UK.
Source: Lighthouse Guild
Contact: Bryan Dotson, Manners Dotson Group
917-796-8632, bdotson@mannersdotson.com