AURORA, Colo. — Summer brings out the big swingers in everyone, and the Beautiful Lives Project ensures that softball is in fact for everyone.
Field of Dreams is softball event cohosted with Triple Crown Sports for roughly 50 participants with disabilities and special needs to have the opportunity to experience softball with AAU softball players.
"I'm grateful for Triple Crown Sports for being willing to take softball beyond the wins and losses on the field and allowing softball a chance to be lifechanging moments and opportunities," Beautiful Lives Project Co-Founder Bryce Weiler said.
Field of Dreams certainly provides that lifechanging moment for Emily Couch and her brother Caleb, who lives with Down's Syndrome.
"Getting to have my brother come out here and play the sport that I love, I really enjoy just being out here and being able to spend time with him," Emily said.
Caleb, a senior at Windsor High School, is an athlete through the school's Unified program.
"We've always been close. We grew up together, we're only two years apart," Emily said. "Growing up, we always hung out together and we've always been so, so close and I've loved him so much."
The two developed and showed off their secret sibling handshake -- which Caleb perfected. As good as he is at dancing and memorizing handshakes, he's even better at the plate. Caleb rocketed a shot off the tee and sprinted to first base with a single, eventually making his way all around the bases to score.
"He's been doing awesome! He loves having fun, he's been hitting well!" Emily said. "And it's awesome to see him meet all of these new people who aren't around Windsor and get to talk to others."
It's events like Field of Dreams that allow people with disabilities to feel a sense of belonging with their peers by matching them with AAU softball players to learn skills from the best in the field.
"They get to have feel a sense of inclusion, and I think it's so important because kids with disabilities need that and it means so, so much to them."
Emily says it's equally important for the players to learn from their participants.
"It impacts everyone's lives so much being around individuals with disabilities, and I think all of these people are learning and doing amazing things."
And those amazing things, Weiler says, help turn big dreams into reality.
"The Beautiful Lives Project is important to me because it shows that everyone deserves an opportunity to live his or her dreams in life and that if someone is willing to give a person with a disability an opportunity, then they can do whatever they dream of doing in their life," Weiler said.
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