Vaughan baseball event for kids with autism hits it out of the park

YorkRegion.com
Aug. 20, 2014
Adam Martin-Robbins

More than a dozen autistic children got a chance to learn the fundamentals of baseball with help from some talented local athletes last week.

And you could tell, just from the smiles on their faces, that they were having a blast.

The event, dubbed Baseball4Me, took place last Friday at Frank Robson Park, off Keele Street, in Maple.

It saw players from the Ontario Athletics Baseball Club — an elite baseball team based in Vaughan — teaching a group of autistic children ranging in age from four to 10 how to hit, throw, pitch and run the bases.

The event was the brainchild of longtime Maple resident Sonia Carnovale.

A mother of three boys, Carnovale’s youngest son, Lucas, has autism.

His older brothers Jesse, 19, and Nicolas, 6, both play baseball and their dad, Nick, is a director and head coach with the Ontario Athletics organization.

So Sonia decided to host a free event, with the help of the Ontario Athletics, to introduce autistic kids to the game and help raise awareness.

“I had to find a way to get my little guy to play, so I thought let’s put together a team of children with special needs and this is what we got,” she said. “There’s nothing out there (for these kids), at least not that I’m aware of. They get it, they just need to be given the chance (to play). And they’re so busy with therapy and everything, they don’t have time.”

Those who took part not only got a chance to play ball they also walked away with a Toronto Blue Jays cap courtesy of the Jays Care Foundation, had a barbecue lunch and jumped their hearts out on a bouncy castle.

Daniela Raso drove from Newmarket so her four-year-old son, Antonio, could take part.

“I think it’s amazing for the kids to get out and be on a team — not that they’re not allowed to be on an actual team — but waiting in lines and waiting to get up to bat, when they wouldn’t be able to do that, so today’s a day that they can,” she said.

The Athletics players got a lot out of it, too.

“Just being able to actually have fun with them and see how happy they are, it really makes me happy,” Andy Falcon said. “Honestly, I get a lot out of this (in terms of) personal happiness.”

Coach Joe Fezza said it also provides the players with a chance to give back to the community.

“We’ve had a lot of our boys take time off work to come here so it’s truly what I think of as volunteering,” he said. “A lot of our boys are here, working with the young kids. And for us this is what it’s all about, trying to give back.”

Carnovale plans on making it an annual event and hopes it will just keep on growing.

“What would be amazing is if we did have a field that was equipped for these kids. Even if it was designed for wheelchairs to get by, with dugouts done properly for these kids and a softer field, not with sand, just that soft turf,” she said. “Maybe, one day, they’ll get it. ”

To find our more, email baseball4me.dreamteam@gmail.com.