The Miracle League of Alexandria

The Miracle League of Alexandria just completed its fall program, celebrating its 10th Anniversary! Due to Covid-19, the league was unable to play the 2020 spring and fall seasons as well as the spring 2021 season. The Miracle League completed the season in October with overwhelming support of so many youth and adults returning to participate made the season a huge success.

On Saturday, October 23, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson came out to throw out the first pitch. Other special guest included staff members from the Prince William County Parks, Recreation and Tourism who will begin their own program in the spring of 2022. Capping off the final day, a cookout for everyone who attended was provided by the Psi Nu Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, who have been supporting the program since 2011. The Recreation Department/MLA provided a special cake to everyone also.

The Miracle League of Alexandria, which formed in 2010 and began play in 2011, have had wonderful support from the players, parents, staff and the community volunteers for over 10 years coming out each week to the games.

On behalf of the MLA Board Members and Recreation Department staff we say: thank you to all our volunteers, parents, donors and supporters for supporting our youth and adults for 10 wonderful years! We look forward to seeing lots of smiling faces, laughter, exciting hits, home runs, and catches in the upcoming spring 2022 season and beyond!

As a part of his Bar Mitzvah Avery Altenburgis and wanted to do a project related to baseball that would help the players in the Miracle League of Alexandria for the upcoming 2022 spring season. Avery has chosen to seek equipment donations from anyone who would like to contribute to his project. He is seeking new bags, safety (RIF 5 or T-Ball) baseballs, 11″ or 12″ soft softballs, batting tees and 13″ or larger baseball gloves. So far they have delivered a lot of items that will be used, but more can be donated.

To make arrangements to donate, he and his family have set up an Amazon Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/MiracleFieldList) for the equipment drive.

Mac Slover, Chair of the Miracle League of Alexandria stated “On behalf of our board members and our players, we want to sincerely thank Avery, his Dad, Larry, his family and those who donated the equipment for these generous donations! It is wonderful to see someone so young like Avery, giving back to his community, but most of all caring about our special athletes. We are very fortunate to have Avery as a part of our community.”

Below are some of the pictures from Avery’s delivery of equipment items before the holidays. He is pictured with Mac Slover, Chair of the Miracle League of Alexandria.

Victor Stearns, an adult player in the Miracle League of Alexandria was selected to represent the City of Alexandria at 2021 National Miracle League All-Star games in November in Houston, Texas. Victor is one of 120 participants to be selected from 25 states from across the United States and Mexico. Victor is one of the original members of the Miracle League of Alexandria program and is an avid baseball lover.

The honored participants represented 60 chapters of the Miracle League who were nominated to play by their leagues. The Miracle League is a national program founded in 2000 in Atlanta, Georgia and has grown to over 300 teams from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The Alexandria program began in the spring of 2011 with the rubberized surface, Kelley Cares Miracle Field completed in November 2012. The Miracle League program is specifically for youth and adults with special needs to enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities and plays baseball in the spring and fall each year.

Due to the unsettled Covid-19 situation in Texas, Victor and his family were unable to attend this year’s event but are set to attend the all-star games in September 2022 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Victor will be accompanied by his brother, Frank, sister-in-law, Judith and Mac Slover, Chair of the MLA.

Sponsoring the Miracle League of Alexandria’s All-Star player each year is Dr. Angela Austin, owner of the Alexandria Children’s Dentistry in Alexandria. Dr. Austin has two locations in Alexandria in Del Ray and at Landmark. The Miracle League of Alexandria is very fortunate to have Dr. Austin and her staff as sponsors for their program. Check out Dr. Austin’s dental practice at www.loveskidsteeth.com or 703.942.8404 or 703.341. 4418.

Mac Slover, MLA Chair stated “we are proud of selecting Victor as this year’s all-star and it was unfortunate he was unable to attend the national all-star games. We look forward to seeing Victor play this wonderful game of baseball he loves and watch he and his family (Frank and Judith) experience that special all-star weekend next September. We are very fortunate to also have a great all-star sponsor in Dr. Austin who has supported our program for many years. I feel our youth and adults are lucky to have such a great partner in Dr. Austin. I cannot thank Dr. Austin and her team enough for their dedication and support each year.”

Now that the 2020 Olympics are behind us, the world’s attention turns to the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, which will host 539 events across 22 sports contested at 21 venues. The games begin with the opening ceremony on Aug. 24 and end Sept. 5, with a day of competitions and the Closing Ceremony.

Sydney Barta (Alexandria, Virginia) — Track and Field
Barta, a former Miracle League of Alexandria athlete, will be competing in the games. Mac Slover, MLA Chair and retired from the Recreation Department, stated “Sydney was a youth participant in the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities Sports Program for many years playing basketball, softball, volleyball and track & field. She was a very gifted athlete that never let her disability phase her. Sydney played in the Miracle League of Alexandria’s baseball from 2013 – 2015. Barta and her family contributed to the Miracle League of Alexandria in 2013 and have a donor homeplate on the league’s Donor’s Wall. Sydney is one special athlete and will always be one of our Miracles from Alexandria! We wish her the best in Tokyo and hopefully bring home the gold.”

At just 17 years old and entering her senior year at National Cathedral School, Barta will compete in her first Paralympics as one of the youngest track and field athletes for Team USA. She took home gold in the 100- and 200-meter at the 2019 World Para Athletics Junior Championships and is currently ranked fifth in the world in the 100-meter. Barta, who lost her left leg in a scaffolding accident when she was 6 years old, was named U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School Female Field Athlete of the Year in 2019 and is a two-time U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School All-American.

Barta competes in the women’s 200-meter dash T44/64 Ambulatory T64 finals during the Desert Challenge Games at Westwood High School on May 30, 2021, in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Sydney Barta – Miracle League of Alexandria 2013
Sydney is on 1st row of standing players – 4th from the left in Nationals uniform with black glove in hand