A baseball game three years in the making happened Saturday, Sept. 6, on the new Gaby’s Grand Slam field at Thomas Ryan Memorial Park in Prior Lake. There, people with physical and cognitive disabilities and their buddies, families and friends gathered to participate in the inaugural game of Prior Lake’s own Miracle League.
“I feel speechless, relieved, accomplished,” said Drew Koenig, the director for the Prior Lake Athletics for Youth (PLAY) Miracle League. “The turnout was fantastic, the players were fantastic. I personally set the bar high on the quality I felt these kids and families deserved, and I hope I met what they expected.”
The Miracle League is a national nonprofit which gives children and adults the opportunity to play baseball in a safe, inclusive environment
and create a space for everyone to belong. Games are played on specially designed rubberized fields which can accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices, and each player is paired with a volunteer buddy for support.
Throughout the two innings on Sept. 6, every player batted, scored and was enthusiastically cheered on — many grinned, celebrated or laughed as they ran the bases, crossed home plate and hit the ball. After his turn, one kid excitedly yelled to his family: “I scored a run!”
“What this place is supposed to do is bring that out and for a short time each week, let these kids feel like champions and create miracles,” Koenig said.
In August 2022, Koenig had the idea to bring a Miracle League field to Prior Lake after navigating life as a parent to a daughter with special needs and seeing how few opportunities existed for children like his. He partnered with PLAY, then approached the city of Prior Lake with a proposal for a privately-driven initiative to transform part of Thomas Ryan Memorial Park into a Miracle League field. Through local donations, sponsorships and community support, the project raised more than $500,000 for the Gaby’s Grand Slam field. Gaby, whom the field is named after, is the daughter of a donor whose generous, long-term support will allow the field to be maintained for decades, Koenig said. Gaby threw the first pitch at the game on Sept. 6.
“Having this amenity, this asset in our community to create increased accessibility for all is certainly for us in Prior Lake, incredible,” Mayor Kirt Briggs said during the opening ceremony on Sept. 6.
The league is not only a place of comfort and acceptance for the players, but also for their families, Koenig said.
“This is a place of no judgement, no side eye,” he said. “Nothing happens that they’re dealing with that they have to feel ashamed of or embarrassed of here.”
The league will run for five weeks this fall, with games each Saturday until Oct. 4. It will resume next year for the summer season running from mid-May until the end of July.
Though the field is open and games are underway, Koenig isn’t done trying to create additional opportunities for people with cognitive and physical disabilities in the southwest metro. Next summer, he said he plans to host an all-Miracle League jamboree at the Gaby’s Grand Slam field with the teams from Lakeville, Shakopee and Eden Prairie.
“One of the challenges with Miracle League is each field is independent,” he said. “It’s all about community, inclusivity and expansion. All the fields are in these little community bubbles, but there might be others in different communities with similar challenges. It doesn’t hurt to expand that network. Let’s maximize and share it with everybody.”
Those interested in getting involved with the league can email miracleleague@playinfo.org, visit the PLAY Miracle League website or follow the league’s Facebook page.
