Buddy Ball Bliss – Point of Vue December 2023

This fall, Terrebonne Parish Recreation brought back its first-ever adaptive sports league, Buddy Ball! This league allows local children varying in ages and disabilities to enjoy a season of teamwork, camaraderie, and athletics with their “buddies” from local schools on the field.

Buddy Ball was first introduced in 2019 by Terrebonne Parish Recreation Director Jim Wendell, to the excitement and support of parents of children with disabilities across the parish. “We started this program in 2019 because really, other than a few Special Olympics programs, funding had been cut by the state for special needs children in our area,” explained Wendell. “We wanted to introduce a recreation activity to local families that was inclusive to everyone, no matter what the diagnosis was—we would make accommodations for everyone who expressed a desire to play. So, Buddy Ball was started.”

During the Buddy Ball season, a special needs child who wishes to play in the league is matched with a volunteer from surrounding public and private schools, who would partner with the athlete to assist them in a game of baseball. “The buddy’s job in Buddy Ball is really to meet the child wherever they are,” explained Erica Lambert, mother of two boys in the program. “Whether the child is really in need of true assistance, or just someone to stand by in case something happens, the buddy will be there for them to offer support and make sure things run smoothly. Getting these local, neurotypical students involved with special needs kids in the community is so important, because it really shows them a new side of living with a disability.” Lambert explained that the buddies come from a wide range of backgrounds, including travel baseball teams and local high schools, or they may be a family member or friend of someone in the program.

Buddy Ball’s inaugural season in 2019 proved a huge success, with the program participants having the opportunity to play five full games, culminating in a final game played against the Terrebonne Parish Council members and the Houma Police and Fire Departments. “Just to see the reactions from the kids was incredible. They were so happy to be able to participate,” said Wendell. “Unfortunately, however, we were not able to continue after 2019 because of the two years of COVID-19 shutdown, followed by the devastation of Hurricane Ida. Finally, in 2023, we knew we had to bring it back to the community. Even though we don’t have all the adaptive facilities we would like yet, we wanted to give the families something in the meantime.”

Buddy Ball 2023, to the excitement of the involved families, returned to Terrebonne Parish on November 6, 2023 with an opening night meet-and-greet. Players were able to familiarize themselves with equipment and a quick batting practice, but most importantly, the athletes were able to meet their assigned buddies and start getting to know them. Buddy Ball currently has three games planned throughout the month of November, finishing with an awards ceremony planned for the players after their final game.

“Having a local, adaptive sports league has been huge for our family and my two sons—now we get to actually play with kids we go to school with, instead of driving to New Orleans,” said Lambert. “A couple of my friends’ children are actually our boys’ buddies this season. They know them, they love them, and they have an amazing time out there. Buddy Ball is a really special time for us to come together as a community of special needs parents and realize we are not alone– there is a place now for us to thrive.” The popularity of Buddy Ball is evident in the numbers as well, with between 30-40 special needs athletes and buddies coming out for the beginning of their 2023 season.

Kim Lousteau, whose 10-yearold daughter currently plays in the league, also explained what having the Buddy Ball program in Terrebonne Parish has meant to her family. “It is so important to get my daughter out to socialize—she loves going out and making friends, so it’s wonderful to have her included in a sport with other people like her. Buddy Ball has absolutely been a benefit for us and our family. I know a lot of times, special needs children have to travel to New Orleans or Baton Rouge for adaptive programs—so we are extremely grateful to have it so close to us in our own parish.”

Despite the 3-year-gap between the first and current season of Buddy Ball, the love from the local families and players has remained strong, and the program has plans to grow in the coming year to accommodate even more children. “We are looking at trying to add some sports to our adaptive league to extend beyond baseball,” said Wendell. “Whether it is modified basketball, or kickball, we want to have something every couple of months to offer our special needs community to come out and be included in recreation in the parish. Buddy Ball has been such a huge success, and we want to continue with that.” Alongside looking to offer new sports, Wendell explained that Terrebonne Parish is in the process of potentially building an adaptive sports park in Houma, similar to the Miracle Park fields in New Orleans and soon to be in Thibodaux. This padded park would provide a safe and accessible location for all special needs children, particularly those in wheelchairs or with equipment, to engage in recreation.

“After talking to lots of other parents with children in the program at our meetand- greet, it became so evident to me that this needs to be a year-round offering,” said Lambert. “Being able to sit back and watch our children have fun with their buddies is incredible. If you are a parent of a neurotypical child, you go to their games, you sit in the stands, and you cheer them on—Buddy Ball is the time that we get to do that with our kids. It is not often we get to have the joy of watching our kids be kids, because so often we are the ones out there and helping them. Buddy Ball gives us a chance as parents to take pictures, relax, and watch them have fun. There are not enough opportunities like this for special needs children in Terrebonne Parish, so having Buddy Ball has really changed our lives for the better. There are 100% ways to grow this into a year-round activity for our local children, and that investment would be a huge positive for the whole community.”

As Buddy Ball continues to grow in the coming years, it will not just touch the lives of those in Houma—but also those in Thibodaux, Morgan City, surrounding parishes, and more, who do not have access to adaptive recreation leagues. Terrebonne Parish Recreation’s commitment to the continuation of programs like Buddy Ball, combined with the support of the local parents and family, will ensure that adaptive sports leagues are here to stay in the bayou area—and will include more special needs families in the fun with each passing season, one child at a time.