Ribbon cutting ceremony with City of Temple Terrace and Buddy BaseballScheduled for Monday, January 6, 2020
Temple Terrace, Fla. (December 12, 2019) – Players with special needs now have a baseball field that is wheelchair accessible, safer for play and allow even more opportunities for children with special needs and mobility issues to play baseball. Buddy Baseball in conjunction with the City of Temple Terrace will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the fields on Monday, January 6 at 7:50 am. Players and buddies will be joining the celebration to play the first game on the new fields. All are welcome to join. The State of Florida and Hillsborough County funded the project located at the Temple Terrace Parks & Recreation – Family Recreation Complex at 6700 Whiteway Drive. Temple Terrace, FL 33617. Buddy Baseball is a non-competitive recreational league for boys and girls with special needs where players are paired with a buddy to assist them on the field. Since the league’s inception in 2009, the league has been playing on traditional clay and sod softball fields which can be challenging for children with mobility issues. Currently there are no other synthetic turf baseball fields in Hillsborough County for children with special needs. “The need for these fields is evident by the growth of our league which has grown to 20 teams for each of our spring and fall seasons” said Russ Oberbroeckling, Buddy Baseball founder and executive director. “We’re overwhelmed by the support provided by our elected officials and the City of Temple Terrace to this much-needed project to create an even better setting where children with unique needs are understood and embraced.” Buddy Baseball is seeking additional donations and sponsorships to support the growing league.All donations are a tax-deductible investment to the league. Donations can be made online at http://buddybaseball.org/sponsorships/donations/ or by contacting Russ Oberbroeckling, executive director at russ@buddybaseball.orgABOUT BUDDY BASEBALLBuddy Baseball is a non-competitive recreational league for boys and girls ages 8 to 22 with special needs. Each player is paired with a buddy to assist on the field and in the dugout. Buddy Baseball’s inaugural season began October 2009 through a dedicated group of volunteers attracting 36 players and 38 buddies to form six teams. Since then, Buddy Baseball has accomplished more than was ever imaginable on and off the field. At the start of the 21st season in September 2019, the league has grown to 20 teams with more than 100 different schools participating.