The William Jewell College Baseball team was recently awarded a special recognition from the YMCA of Greater Kansas City for their dedication to the YMCA Challenger Baseball program.

For the past three years the Cardinals have held baseball clinics during the winter for kids ages 9-18 with all proceeds going to the YMCA Challenger Program. The program is designed to help build a Challenger Athletic Complex in Kansas City. The facility will include custom-designed fields made out of synthetic rubber turf that cushion falls and accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices.

“Baseball is a game that should be enjoyed by everyone, including those kids with special needs,” said Jewell head coach Mike Stockton. “I give a lot of credit to faculty member Kevin Shaffstall and the Pryor Leadership Studies students for helping get this off the ground three years ago.”

Each year, the senior Legacy Class of the Pryor Leadership Studies Program at William Jewell is challenged to find a way to leave a lasting legacy to their community. The first Legacy Project of the Pryor Leadership program was in 1996 and consisted of a covered nature observatory platform at the Martha LaFite Thompson Nature Sanctuary in Liberty, Mo.

In 2005, Pryor Leadership Studies students at Jewell chose a legacy project that would assist children with disabilities. Nathan Baker, a senior at that time, had spent the past year working with special needs children in an adaptive physical education program in the Independence, Mo., school district. After seeing an HBO special about baseball fields for children with disabilities, Nathan and a team of students began researching the possibility of bringing such a field to the Northland.

The class then contacted the YMCA of Greater Kansas City and a relationship was established to further develop the idea. More than $500,000 was raised for the project, in addition to the donation of an 8-acre site at the intersection of 152 Highway and Barry Road in Kansas City, North. The Kansas City Royals were made aware of the project and have become active partners in fundraising and other supporting activities.

As word continued to spread about the project, Jerry Lafferty, a baseball scout for the Philadelphia Phillies who lives in the Northland, recruited 12 other major league scouts from different teams to host a fundraiser baseball camp at the William Jewell College Mabee Center in January of 2006. The idea was to hold a clinic each January, with the proceeds going to the YMCA Challenger Program.

“We jumped right on board when I heard they wanted to use our facility,” said Stockton. “We told them we would have our players and coaching staff there to help be the teachers and provide any services we could as a team to the clinic.”

With the help of Lafferty, the clinic now features some high profile guests each year. Ryan Howard, the 2006 National League Most Valuable Player, made an appearance at the January 2007 clinic, along with Royals player Mark Teahen.

“I can’t say enough about what it has meant to have the William Jewell baseball team, coaches and staff participate in the baseball clinic for the last three years,” said Michele Ford, senior vice president, adaptive programming at the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. “The clinic participants really enjoy working with the team, and they come back year after year because of the relationships they have built. We also have had our Challenger baseball players out participating in a short clinic with the team, and you can really see how much they care about making sure all kids have the opportunity to play baseball.”

Fundraising continues for the project, with $1.8 million of the $3.9 million goal already pledged. The initial land development phase of the project is nearing completion, and YMCA officials hope to begin work soon on the second phase, which will include construction of the field, concession area and parking lot.

Stockton said that his players have reaped their own rewards by participating in the clinics. “This was such an honor to be recognized by the YMCA,” said Stockton. “We enjoy helping put on the clinic each year, and the look that our players have in their eyes knowing that they are helping such a worthy cause is priceless.”