First Posted: 2/9/2015
KINGSTON — Love for the game of baseball does not discriminate.
This love brought college athletes and special needs students together on Feb. 7 as the Graham Academy of Kingston held its sicth annual Baseball Clinic for the Autism and Special Needs Communities in conjunction with the Lackawanna College baseball team.
Over 30 Lakawanna College players were available to set up and coach stations including a home run derby, a sliding station and a throwing station for students of the Graham Academy as well as special needs children throughout the area’s school districts at the open event (inclusive of the entire autism and special needs community throughout NEPA).
The ballplayers brought energy to the gymnasium as they aided and instructed their pupils for the day throughout different activities, but their enthusiasm was just barely trumped by children who could not have been happier to participate in the day’s events.
Fifteen-year-old Ryan Wasko of Forty-Fort was the ambassador of the program, if an ambassador was to be named. With an inextinguishable smile and a hug and handshake for every person he met, the Graham Academy student and veteran of the clinic said that sliding and playing catch were his favorite parts of the day, but it was clear his A-game was saved for meeting new friends and camaraderie among old friends as he interacted with schoolmates, players, parents and the media with nothing but good will toward all.
His mother, Barbara Wasko, watched her son with pride and spoke with appreciation for the academy. “They understand what these children need, and the accommodations that they provide are awesome.” Wasko noted that her son is making progress, and said she is encouraged that he comes home from the school excited.
Barbara and Ray spread word to their friends of the annual clinic, bringing Alice Uter of Drums and her 10-year-old son Andrew to the event. Andrew is a student of the Hazelton Area school district, but he enjoys the clinic and has attended twice in the last three years.
“My son loves any kind of sports,” said Uter, “and he’s very active. And he just likes to be involved in a lot of different things. Having the team here from Lackawanna College is just a great way for them to interact with the kids.”
The Graham Academy and the Lackawanna College Baseball team began the program six years ago when an assistant coach from the college was working as a TSS (therapeutic support staff) member at the academy.
The academy is a K-12 private, academic school that includes students from the Scranton area all the way to Hazelton. The school provides math, science and reading education as well as experiential curricula including gardening, cooking and artistic programs.
Ryan Binkley of Wilkes-Barre, the public relations and marketing coordinator for the academy, could not be more pleased with the character and involvement of the Lackawanna College team. “I just talked to the head coach, and he said, ‘every year at our first meeting, they say ‘are we doing the camp again?’’ … Their engagement with these kids is awesome.”
That engagement is part of a culture that has been built in the Lackawanna College baseball program, a culture that advocates and celebrates community and volunteerism.
Chris Pensak of Factoryville has been the head coach of the team during all six years of participation in the clinic. Having worked with autistic children in the past, he felt very strongly about the event during the first year of involvement, and with a positive reaction from his players he continued to bring them back yearly.
The benefits that the children received from the clinic could be seen in every smile as they learned proper techniques, got to know players over a lunch provided by Abe’s Hotdogs and just generally had fun. But Pensak addressed the importance of the experience for the young members of his team as well.
“When you bring players in, typically with sports, you want to mold them into young men,” he said. “You have to be able to function in society, and you have to be willing to give back. And this is one of the ways to educate our players.”
One of those players, Dominic Oliveri of Dallas, participated for the first time, and he talked about how passionate his team was about their involvement.
“We went to practice this morning,” said Oliveri, “and we all were talking about how we were going to make these kids, at least put a smile on their face, because putting a smile on their face when we’re doing this, it shows that we’re doing it the right way and they’re having fun, because if you’re not having fun playing baseball, it’s a challenge.”
Lazaro Duverdel of Lancaster, was representing his team for the second year in a row, and he said that his newer teammates need no encouragement to get excited for the clinic.
“You see how much fun we’re having out here,” he said. “It’s just a blessing to be out here helping these kids.”
