From the
Boston Globe. In the picture, Physical therapist Barbara DeLuca (left) celebrated as Ryan Connolly crossed home plate during the opening of the baseball season at the Cotting School.
LEXINGTON, Mass. — With a look of determination, Mike DiCiero deftly positioned his wheelchair nearly perpendicular to the pitcher, gripped the aluminum bat with his right arm, and swung hard.
Three times the ball went sailing into foul territory, over the third base line. The fourth time he connected, the ball landed just out of reach of the pitcher, and DiCiero powered his chair toward first base. For the 18-year-old Peabody resident, it was the first base hit, in the first at-bat, in the first baseball game he had ever played.
It was a circle-the-calendar day for many families yesterday as Little Leagues around the area marked Opening Day, but the Cotting School’s baseball opener stood out, and not just because of the new artificial turf and new uniforms. Aided by walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, and physical therapists, 54 Cotting students, many of whom had never competed in a ballgame, gleefully took to the field yesterday morning for the school’s inaugural season.
“He couldn’t use two hands on the bat, so we figured out how to angle his chair, so he could hit one-handed,’’ said DiCiero’s father, Tony, who spent weeks leading up to Opening Day practicing with his son in their yard.
The teen was born with cerebral palsy, a brain injury that squelched his ability to walk, but not his enthusiasm for sports, baseball, and the Red Sox in particular. His favorite player is third baseman Mike Lowell.
“He’s good on the field,’’ Mike DiCiero said. “But he does a lot off the field with charity, and he seems like a good guy.’’
The school, founded in 1893 by two pioneering orthopedic surgeons, specializes in adapting education to the needs of students who have a range of learning, communication, and physical disabilities. The newly installed, wheelchair-friendly baseball turf is just one example — traditional grass, with its ruts and mud, can gum up the wheels in walkers and chairs.
From the South Shore, southern New Hampshire, and as far west as Worcester, families whose children attend the school converged yesterday on the field for the momentous occasion. Many helped their children swing the bat, or navigate their wheelchairs, while physical and occupational therapists guided others who needed more assistance.
“It’s usually our kids who are sitting on the sidelines watching their siblings play, so this puts a nice spin on that,’’ said the school’s coach, Dan Cuddy.
Bob Botticelli snapped photos of his 16-year-old son, Bobby, who uses a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy. Last week, he snapped four dozen at a soccer game inside the school’s gymnasium that featured special boards attached to student’s chairs so they could aim, shoot, and pass, the ball.
“I’m in heaven,’’ the elder Botticelli said. “This is a father’s dream to just be able to see my kid throw and catch the ball.’’
It has been a 16-year odyssey for the Saugus family. Bobby was born nine weeks premature, weighing just 2 pounds.
“He’s lucky to be in a wheelchair,’’ said Botticelli. “People shouldn’t feel so bad for my son. We are lucky he is here.’’
The school’s nascent league has two divisions — American and National — and four teams: A’s, Orioles, Cardinals, and Dodgers. To keep the peace, it was decided there would be no Red Sox or Yankees. The hope for next year is to expand the league beyond the Cotting School to other schools for children with disabilities.
For 11-year-old MaKenna Garrett, who plays for the Orioles, the day was a success.
“I hit it really hard,’’ said the 11-year-old from Hollis, N.H.
Garrett, who has autism, had been unable to participate in sports, her mother said, because she seemed overwhelmed. But at the Cotting School, things have gradually begun to change.
“Here, if she makes a mistake, it’s OK,’’ said Liz Garrett. “It’s great when our kids can just have the typical kid experience.’’
From the Boston Globe. In the picture, Physical therapist Barbara DeLuca (left) celebrated as Ryan Connolly crossed home plate during the opening of the baseball season at the Cotting School.