Herald 8/26: Inclusive Baseball
Liam’s Legacy plans accessible baseball field at Baldwin Park
By Allyson Ferrari
BALDWIN, NY — Brian Driscoll hopes his 10-year-old son, Liam, will one day get to experience what other young athletes do. Liam, who uses a wheelchair and is nonverbal, loves sports — particularly the lights, music and excitement at the games.
Liam was born with tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that required open-heart surgery when he was 3 months old. At age 3 he was diagnosed with ATRX syndrome, a rare genetic condition. He also has permanent hearing loss, microcephaly and developmental delays.
Liam is not yet able to sit independently, walk or speak, but his father wants him to have the chance to come up to bat with music playing, hear his name announced, see himself on a scoreboard and listen to a crowd cheer him on.
“Without the assistance of someone, he’s not able to do things on his own,” he said of Liam. “So there’s not much out there for him.”
Driscoll, of Oceanside, the founder of the Liam’s Legacy Athletic Association, is working to build a fully accessible baseball field in Baldwin Park for children and young adults with physical, developmental, cognitive and sensory disabilities. The project is still in the planning stages and has not received formal approval, but Driscoll said that the Town of Hempstead recently sent him a letter promising space for the field if the organization privately funds it. Driscoll estimates that the project will cost more than $2 million.
“The organization approached the Town with its vision at Baldwin Park, and we have been in communication throughout the process and will continue to monitor this group’s progress," Councilwoman Laura Ryder said in a statement sent to the Herald.
Driscoll describes his son as a happy child who is almost always smiling. He loves flashing lights, music, cartoons and sports events.
“When you bring up these games, it’s just like he’s got a smile from ear to ear,” his father said.
About four years ago, Driscoll attended a fundraiser in Michigan for the Miracle League — a national nonprofit that gives children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities opportunities to play organized baseball — and visited an adaptive baseball field, where he watched children with disabilities play. Seeing their excitement made him think Long Island needed something similar.
The idea evolved as Driscoll took Liam to Savannah Bananas games. The traveling exhibition baseball team is known for Banana Ball, a fast-paced version of the sport featuring music, dancing, comedy and fan participation. He came up with the idea of Legacy Ball, a combination of Miracle League-style adaptive baseball and the music, energy and entertainment of the Bananas’ version of the game.
Over the past year and a half, Driscoll has developed the Liam’s Legacy Association, now a nonprofit. He held off on major fundraising while he sought a location, but the town’s commitment has allowed him to move ahead with fundraising and other planning.
Driscoll grew up in Oceanside, just across the bridge from Baldwin Park, where he and his brother rode their bikes as kids. He also considered Oceanside for the project, but he wanted it to remain on the South Shore and within the Town of Hempstead, where he hopes to eventually involve children from Camp ANCHOR.
Driscoll envisions a wheelchair-accessible, rubberized field in an area adjacent to the Baldwin Park playground. His plans also call for accessible dugouts and pathways, covered stadium-style seating, ADA-compliant restrooms and a pavilion for families and community events.
A press box, live announcing and music, and a large video scoreboard would help give players the feel of playing a stadium. Driscoll wants them to have walk-up songs, hear their names announced and see themselves on the screen. Games would also be recorded and livestreamed for relatives unable to attend.
Legacy Ball would emphasize participation and fun rather than competition. Each player would bat, reach base and score, with the final batter hitting a grand slam so everyone crosses home plate together.
Players would also be paired with volunteers, called Legacy Leaders, who would help them on the field. The trained volunteers, Driscoll said could include students, athletes and other community members.
The league would be open to children and young adults from across Long Island, and Driscoll hopes to eventually schedule games on weekends in the spring and fall. Uniforms and other necessities would be provided.
“My goal would be that there’s no cost whatsoever,” he said.
Beyond the game itself, Driscoll wants game days to feel like community festivals, with local marching bands, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots performing and food vendors, civic organizations, schools and local businesses taking part. He hopes the atmosphere would draw people who may not otherwise have a connection to adaptive sports.
Liam’s Legacy has already received emails from families interested in the program, Driscoll said. Baldwin residents offered their support after he recently publicized the proposal on Facebook. Liam’s Legacy has also joined the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, and Driscoll hopes to recruit other local organizations.
“Anybody I talk to wants to be a part of it,” he said.
Ginny Foley, a past president of the chamber and a member of its board of directors, said the organization plans to support Liam’s Legacy by sharing information about the organization at its monthly meetings and on social media. “We look forward to seeing this fine organization achieve their goals in our beautiful Baldwin Park,” Foley wrote in an email.
Turning that support into the funding needed to build the field will be the next challenge. Liam’s Legacy plans to rely on private fundraising, grants, sponsorships and community partnerships, and Driscoll said that one foundation has already committed to providing a grant, though he did not identify it.
The nonprofit will hold its first major fundraiser Oct. 3, from noon to 4 p.m., at Centre Station, in Rockville Centre. The event will feature live music by Permission To Launch, food and raffles, with proceeds supporting the Baldwin Park project.
No construction timeline has been set, and the final cost has yet to be determined. But when asked what he hopes to see at Baldwin Park five years from now, Driscoll envisioned a small stadium filled with players, families and cheering spectators.
“I’d hope to have a mini stadium built,” he said. “You hear the crowd going wild. You know, kids running on the bases, having a great time.”
For Driscoll, the vision ultimately comes back to the boy who inspired it. “One day, I hope Liam rolls onto that field wearing his own jersey,” his father said, “hears his name announced over the loudspeaker, looks up at the scoreboard and knows that this field was built because an entire community believed that every child deserves the chance to play.”
Those who want to support can visit LiamsLegacyAthletics.org.
BALDWIN, NY — Brian Driscoll hopes his 10-year-old son, Liam, will one day get to experience what other young athletes do. Liam, who uses a wheelchair and is nonverbal, loves sports — particularly the lights, music and excitement at the games.
Liam was born with tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that required open-heart surgery when he was 3 months old. At age 3 he was diagnosed with ATRX syndrome, a rare genetic condition. He also has permanent hearing loss, microcephaly and developmental delays.
Liam is not yet able to sit independently, walk or speak, but his father wants him to have the chance to come up to bat with music playing, hear his name announced, see himself on a scoreboard and listen to a crowd cheer him on.
“Without the assistance of someone, he’s not able to do things on his own,” he said of Liam. “So there’s not much out there for him.”
Driscoll, of Oceanside, the founder of the Liam’s Legacy Athletic Association, is working to build a fully accessible baseball field in Baldwin Park for children and young adults with physical, developmental, cognitive and sensory disabilities. The project is still in the planning stages and has not received formal approval, but Driscoll said that the Town of Hempstead recently sent him a letter promising space for the field if the organization privately funds it. Driscoll estimates that the project will cost more than $2 million.
“The organization approached the Town with its vision at Baldwin Park, and we have been in communication throughout the process and will continue to monitor this group’s progress," Councilwoman Laura Ryder said in a statement sent to the Herald.
Driscoll describes his son as a happy child who is almost always smiling. He loves flashing lights, music, cartoons and sports events.
“When you bring up these games, it’s just like he’s got a smile from ear to ear,” his father said.
About four years ago, Driscoll attended a fundraiser in Michigan for the Miracle League — a national nonprofit that gives children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities opportunities to play organized baseball — and visited an adaptive baseball field, where he watched children with disabilities play. Seeing their excitement made him think Long Island needed something similar.
The idea evolved as Driscoll took Liam to Savannah Bananas games. The traveling exhibition baseball team is known for Banana Ball, a fast-paced version of the sport featuring music, dancing, comedy and fan participation. He came up with the idea of Legacy Ball, a combination of Miracle League-style adaptive baseball and the music, energy and entertainment of the Bananas’ version of the game.
Over the past year and a half, Driscoll has developed the Liam’s Legacy Association, now a nonprofit. He held off on major fundraising while he sought a location, but the town’s commitment has allowed him to move ahead with fundraising and other planning.
Driscoll grew up in Oceanside, just across the bridge from Baldwin Park, where he and his brother rode their bikes as kids. He also considered Oceanside for the project, but he wanted it to remain on the South Shore and within the Town of Hempstead, where he hopes to eventually involve children from Camp ANCHOR.
Driscoll envisions a wheelchair-accessible, rubberized field in an area adjacent to the Baldwin Park playground. His plans also call for accessible dugouts and pathways, covered stadium-style seating, ADA-compliant restrooms and a pavilion for families and community events.
A press box, live announcing and music, and a large video scoreboard would help give players the feel of playing a stadium. Driscoll wants them to have walk-up songs, hear their names announced and see themselves on the screen. Games would also be recorded and livestreamed for relatives unable to attend.
Legacy Ball would emphasize participation and fun rather than competition. Each player would bat, reach base and score, with the final batter hitting a grand slam so everyone crosses home plate together.
Players would also be paired with volunteers, called Legacy Leaders, who would help them on the field. The trained volunteers, Driscoll said could include students, athletes and other community members.
The league would be open to children and young adults from across Long Island, and Driscoll hopes to eventually schedule games on weekends in the spring and fall. Uniforms and other necessities would be provided.
“My goal would be that there’s no cost whatsoever,” he said.
Beyond the game itself, Driscoll wants game days to feel like community festivals, with local marching bands, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots performing and food vendors, civic organizations, schools and local businesses taking part. He hopes the atmosphere would draw people who may not otherwise have a connection to adaptive sports.
Liam’s Legacy has already received emails from families interested in the program, Driscoll said. Baldwin residents offered their support after he recently publicized the proposal on Facebook. Liam’s Legacy has also joined the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, and Driscoll hopes to recruit other local organizations.
“Anybody I talk to wants to be a part of it,” he said.
Ginny Foley, a past president of the chamber and a member of its board of directors, said the organization plans to support Liam’s Legacy by sharing information about the organization at its monthly meetings and on social media. “We look forward to seeing this fine organization achieve their goals in our beautiful Baldwin Park,” Foley wrote in an email.
Turning that support into the funding needed to build the field will be the next challenge. Liam’s Legacy plans to rely on private fundraising, grants, sponsorships and community partnerships, and Driscoll said that one foundation has already committed to providing a grant, though he did not identify it.
The nonprofit will hold its first major fundraiser Oct. 3, from noon to 4 p.m., at Centre Station, in Rockville Centre. The event will feature live music by Permission To Launch, food and raffles, with proceeds supporting the Baldwin Park project.
No construction timeline has been set, and the final cost has yet to be determined. But when asked what he hopes to see at Baldwin Park five years from now, Driscoll envisioned a small stadium filled with players, families and cheering spectators.
“I’d hope to have a mini stadium built,” he said. “You hear the crowd going wild. You know, kids running on the bases, having a great time.”
For Driscoll, the vision ultimately comes back to the boy who inspired it. “One day, I hope Liam rolls onto that field wearing his own jersey,” his father said, “hears his name announced over the loudspeaker, looks up at the scoreboard and knows that this field was built because an entire community believed that every child deserves the chance to play.”
Those who want to support can visit LiamsLegacyAthletics.org.
