Kennedy Krieger Institute Hosts Wheelchair Softball Championship
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Most of the time, disabled students are not able to join their high school sports teams.
But as Mike Schuh explains, a special team, at the top of its game, is needing a little help.
To get the right line up, Coach Gerry Herman checks in with his star first basemen at the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Greenspring Campus.
What you don't know about MVP first basemen Jorge Medrano is this: he plays his position from a wheelchair.
"Basically I've been doing this for 30 years. I don't see the chair, so to me, everyone is normal," said Coach Herman.
This past year, he led his team to the National Junior Wheelchair Softball Championship.
But it wasn't easy.
This practice, for instance, is inside a gym. Not exactly the right field dimensions, and when they are not there, they are in a parking lot.
"This is right field, this is where we practice," said Herman.
On weekends there are no cars, but even one left behind means they're back in the gym, odd angles and all. But they've come up with a solution.
"This is approximately the pitchers mound. The field is going to take up three quarters of this space," said Herman.
They convinced Kennedy Krieger to let them build a wheelchair field right in the middle of the Greenspring Campus.
Hundreds of thousands have been raised for this special rubber surface, but they need $50,000 more. And they need it soon because they're hosting the national championships this year.
Jorge can tell you the difference is amazing.
"This is way, much better than playing in a parking lot," he said.
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