Adaptive Services

Adaptive Baseball Camps extend WBA’s programming to serve young people who are underserved from the aspect of participating in youth sports and related life-skills lessons. Our collaborative partner's in this venture are Turnstone and the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne. The Camps teach basic baseball skills in ways adapted to the developmental and physical abilities of each participant. Currently, we host the baseball day portion of the All Abilities Camp in the summer and the Up to Bat five-week camp in the fall. We have also run clinics with Turnstone's Endeavor Games.

• All Abilities Camp
• Up to Bat Camp
• Turnstone's Endeavor Games

Objectives of these special abilities Camps include: Creating new recreational experiences for young people with disabilities in a fun environment in which they can socially engage with typically developing peers; creating new social interaction experiences for peers to discover they have much in common with those who may not share the same abilities, including the joy of the game and desires to learn and achieve. 

In addition to programming partnerships, WBA is excited about new opportunities for facility usage partnerships as well! We have partnered with several groups to provide field access for their team/clinic to practice and play, including:

• Special Olympics of Allen County
• Alternative Baseball Organization
• Special Stars Baseball Clinic

To learn more please email Melinda Petersen at melinda@worldbaseballacademy.com.

"The YMCA is so grateful for our continued partnership with the World Baseball Academy. The YMCA, Turnstone and World Baseball Academy partnered to host Adaptive Baseball this fall, with a record-breaking number of attendees. Participants learned baseball drills, had opportunities to be part of a team and ran the bases around the adaptive Cal Ripken turf field! The YMCA and Turnstone partnered to host the first ever All Abilities Camp, with the program’s last session at the World Baseball Academy’s outdoor field. The participants had a blast playing baseball together and flying around the bases. Everyone deserves to have opportunities to belong and achieve and the partnership with the World Baseball Academy provides just that! Their incredible and devoted volunteers and staff truly make the participants feel special and included. There’s nothing quite like seeing the smiles on the participant’s faces, reflecting their newfound confidence and celebrating their abilities!"

Rebekah Coffey
Director of Adaptive Services, YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne