Cancellations will be posted on the WMML weather hotline 45 minutes before game time.   Call 877-518-5885   Also, my cell phone number is 612-865-4621 (Lisa)

West Metro Miracle Athletics (WMMA) is a 501.c.3  that provides super special athletes in the west metro suburbs, in 2 age groups (ages 3 - 9 and 10 - 19), with ANY cognitive and/or physical challenges, an opportunity to play organized sports.  Kids from west metro schools and sports teams eagerly sign-up to be buddies to hang out 1:1 with our athletes. 

At this time we offer 2 programs that can keep any athlete busy year round! For both programs the format is the same: fun, friends and improvement.  We provide the jerseys and refreshments and equipment (not including gloves for baseball). 

 

1. WMML - West Metro Miracle League Registration now closed: We offer adaptive baseball on our cushy rubber surfaced Subway Restaurants Harmon Killebrew Field  located and  fully integrated in the Bennett Family Ballpark in Minnetonka, MN.  Bennett Family Park is the home of seven baseball diamonds and is located north of Hwy 7 on Hwy 101.

Not only do we provide some really great recreational services to 150 – 200 special athletes, but we touch almost 2,000 buddies, coaches and volunteers throughout the western suburbs a year with our basketball and baseball programs.   We benefit from having such great buddies and we think the buddy teams walk away with a little bit of a new perspective on the game which we have seen perpetuate as almost a pay it forward phenomenon.

Here is a letter we got from one of the East Tonka Little League coaches that just made my day.  This  just illustrates what a great partnership we have struck with the western suburb communities (so far Osseo, Edina, Holy Family, Providence Academy, Chanhassen, Shakopee, Orono and of course Minnetonka) and how we are so proud of the impact of this program.

Lisa Adzick

WMMA President

"Dear West Metro Miracle Athletics Board,

I have enclosed a check for a donation for the West Metro Miracle League from the Youngstedts ETLL American League Team of 2011.

I was the coach of the team and after every game the players would nominate “Miracle League Plays” from their teammates.  There were a couple of rules.  First, a player had to nominate a teammate’s play not his own.  They also had to  tell why they nominated the play.  Second, it did not necessarily have to be a successful play, it could be a play where the player made a great effort but was unable to complete the play or where a player handled adversity well.  Third, the players had to make the nominations – not the coaches.  Finally, I had full veto power.

Every play that was a “Miracle League Play”  I donated $1 to the fund.  At first, the players had very few plays they would nominate and when they would they had a hard time explaining their reasoning.  As the season went on, they nominated more and more plays and did a good job explaining why they felt their teammate’s play should be nominated.

The last quarter of the season as we would talk after the game, they could not wait to get to the “Miracle League Play.”  It was always the last thing we did and they really looked forward to it.  It was fun to hear them express their evaluation of the plays and fun to watch their teammate as they talked about him and the play he made.  This check represents 200 plays that were nominated and accepted.

Our team had very few issues with behavior and got better and better as the year went on.  We won the Raspberry tournament in Hopkins at the end of the season.  The kids liked playing with each other and I believe part of this had to do with the fact they were able to be positive and complimentary of their teammate’s performance after each game.  Scrappy even nominated his younger brother Peter sometimes!!!

Thanks for everything you and the board have done for WMML.  It has added significance to the players that played on Youngstedts  this past season at ETLL.

Sincerely,

Steve Haas"

Two pretty cool stories.  Takes 1 minute to watch and might make your day.

http://minnetonka.patch.com/articles/video-the-inspiration-behind-esthers-braves#video-6661716

This is a Video from Peiatric Home Services:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pediatrichomeservice#p/u/6/73_g9jCBJA0
 

Too many times in the world today we hear that kids are too busy, overscheduled and spend too much time on their own pursuits without thinking of others.  Jacob Ungerman defies those words and gives us all hope in the future because of the youth of today.  For the second year in a row, Jacob is sponsoring a West Metro Miracle League team with money he was given for his Bar Mitzvah.  Jacob is a 14 year old Hopkins North Junior High School student who is busy with school, sports and involved in his temple.  As part of his Bar Mitzvah education last year, Jacob wanted to find an organization that he could help – in whatever way possible.  At that time, the Miracle League was looking for additional sponsors for the 12 teams.  A  match was made, and The Ungerman Astros were born.  Jacob was lucky enough to throw out the first pitch and enjoy a Miracle League game with his parents.  Even though Jacob’s bar mitzvah training is over, he wants to continue his sponsorship of the Ungerman Astros.

"I love the feeling of helping others.  The reason I love it is that if we all do just a little bit more to help in our world, it will be a better place. I love baseball and I would hate to think that if I had a disability, that I wouldn't be able to play.  Every child deserves to be able to swing a bat and throw a ball - no matter what!

Rarely does one get to witness history in the making. Witness the creation of The Miracle Athletics, Minnesota style. WMMA (doesn't roll off the tongue, but that's the acronym for The West Metro Miracle Athletics).  Here is our progress:

• In 2008, we started with baseball and had 33 players and 4 teams and played on Field 5 (dirt field) at Bennett Family Park in Minnetonka.
• In 2009, we had 100 players and 8 teams and played on our new Subway Restaurants Harmon Killebrew Field at Bennett Family Park after a $1.2M overall park improvement project with our official subber surface and fully accessible park (8 fields).
• In 2010 we had 120 players, 10 teams and played 2 games each Saturday and Sunday and a game each Tuesday from May 1 through the end of June We played 2 weekends of fall ball in September (the Race for the Pennant) sponsored by Accurate Home Health and Subway Restaurants (THANKS!)
• In 2011 we have about 150 players, 10 large teams and played fall ball as well.  We had our 3rd annual spring clinic with Paul  Twenge, Head Coach of the Minnetonka Skippers baseball team in the Minnetonka dome with 45 kids.  We also started a basketball league this past winter with 50 kids (iCanHoops) and it was so popular we did it again in October and November with 75 super cool players. 
• Here is a short video about the Miracle League and the '09 Season.



• West Metro Miracle League from WideSkreen.TV on Vimeo.

   

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