[Author’s Note: This post is dedicated to the late Shawnie Ellis and the people he inspired to bring Challenger baseball to Moreland Little League. The positive impact of that effort, and efforts like what is described below, on the buddies, their coaches, and the families, last long beyond the baseball field. Those efforts add empathy and love to other important lessons that can be learned from participation in sports.]

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Baseball is a sport like no other. In a world of non-stop distractions, it hearkens back to a simpler time. It is an individual sport, but it takes a team to win. It is slow with flashes of speed and agility. It is a challenging sport to master.

Unfortunately, many do not have the chance to even attempt to master it, because of physical or other challenges. In Berkeley County, South Carolina, some 4,400 kids have had to sit on the sidelines watching their siblings and friends play.

That is, until the arrival of the Moncks Corner Home Telecom Miracle Field. For the kids who otherwise would have been shut out of baseball, Moncks Corner Home Telecom Miracle Field lives up to its name.

As its name suggests, Home Telecom is the hometown telecom provider for Moncks Corner. With an investment of $250,000, Home Telecom was instrumental in the creation of the million-dollar facility. This author has been fortunate to visit and do some work with Home Telecom and Calix in the past and see its impact on the communities they serve.

Recreational sports are an important thread for tying together the Moncks Corner/Berkeley County community. The recent addition of the Miracle League further strengthens those ties by bringing together people of all abilities.

The following interview provides the viewpoints of a few of the people who were critical to opening baseball to the entire population of Berkeley County; Moncks Corner Recreation Director Becky Ellison, Gina Tuberville Schuler, and Will Helmly of Home Telecom.

Interview Highlights

• 01:21 – Sports Programs Bringing Families Together
• 02:46 – Moncks Corner – “The Lowcountry’s Hometown”
• 03:44 – A Vision to Offer Programs to People of All Abilities
• 04:43 – First Miracle League Opened in April 2000
• 05:20 – The Miracle League Brings the Community Together
• 06:17 – What Inspired Home Telecom to Sponsor the Miracle Field?
• 07:33 – The Foresight of Local Leaders
• 08:06 – A Significant Investment in the Community
• 09:20 – An Investment Beyond Dollars
• 10:28 – How Does Community Wi-Fi Apply?
• 11:43 – What Is the Impact of the Miracle League on the Community?