“It’s over the top exciting for the kids,’’ said Kim Nuxhall, president of the Nuxhall Foundation. “For some it’s the first time out they’ve been out of the area. It’s going to be special. I’m as excited as they are.”
The matchup stems from discussions that began nearly five years ago that brought the Pittsburgh players to Fairfield in 2022. Both leagues then sent teams to Pidgeon Forge last year to compete against Miracle League and other teams.
This year the Nuxhall players are traveling to Pittsburgh. Joining them will be Cincinnati Reds’ batboy and Miracle League team manager Teddy Kremer.
It is only the second year they’ve had traveling teams. Two adult and two youth teams will play. In last year inaugural debut of traveling teams, there were only 25 spots for athletes but 65 interested families.
“The bulk of the athletes have been waiting on this trip for a year,’’ said Tyler Bradshaw, executive director of the Nuxhall Foundation.
“More athletes than we had room for wanted to go last year. So this year we added spaces and asked those who went last year not to sign up to give the others a chance. They’ve been counting down the days to this trip.”
In preparation for the trip new, specially designed uniforms, provided at no cost by Headlines Sportwear in Hamilton, were unveiled earlier this week.
The games begin at Pittsburgh Boyce Mayview Park when a chartered bus will bring the athletes from the hotel to the fields as Pittsburgh fans line the road welcoming the Fairfield players through the Pack the Park event.
The games will be announced by celebrity broadcasters including the Cincinnati Reds’ John Sadak and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Joe Block. Each time players cross the home plate they will be greeted with a barrage of bubbles by Nuxhall’s brother Phil, the leagues “official bubble man.”
“It adds that extra excitement – makes them feel they scored the winning run,’’ Kim Nuxhall said.
Some players from both the Reds and Pirates will be at the fields to watch the games, and mingle with athletes and the public before their game that evening against the Reds.
Once players arrive in Pittsburgh, Casey will host a welcome party for players. Besides visiting with players there will be a carnival following the games Saturday followed by a pool party.
On Sunday, the Pirates donated tickets for athletes, their families and volunteers for the Reds/Pirates game.
For the Lillich family – whose son Ronan played in Pigeon Forge last year – the trip allowed their son to experience the national pastime like other kids.
“Oftentimes, in the special needs community, our kids don’t have the opportunity to do sports – it’s one in a million,” said Christina Lillich, Ronan’s mom.
“Just having the opportunity gave us the feeling we had the same life as others in sports. It was magical and made us feel that we could participate not only in the Miracle Leagues but with regular teams as well.”
Giving athletes that feeling is one of the reasons why the Nuxhall league began traveling teams, Bradshaw said.
“So many of these families have been told from a very young age their child may never get an opportunity to play ball.
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