Will Stafford has been playing adaptive sports his whole life. He enrolled in the YMCA’s Miracle League program (a baseball program for kids and adults with disabilities) as an athlete in Fall of 2022. We were immediately impressed with the initiative Will began taking to help out his fellow players. Will was hired as our Adaptive Sports Instructor in October 2022. Will has Autism and brings a unique and highly valued perspective to our Adaptive Sports team. Will is able to support our athletes with disabilities in a very special way because he has a deep understanding of what it feels like to be included and accepted regardless of ability. Will is also able to give his priceless expertise as we make leadership decisions about programming. Will’s passion for Adaptive Sports is unparalleled; he truly embodies the Y’s values of inclusion and community engagement.

When Evan first stepped on the court at the YMCA’s Adaptive basketball program, it was apparent that he was nervous. He didn’t know any of the players on his team and had never participated in a program like this before. Evan joined the “Celtics” and quickly showed how skilled he is with Basketball; he was an advanced dribbler and became the team’s starting point guard. Beyond his basketball talents, Evan learned a lot about being a part of a team, making friends, and has demonstrated a great deal of empathy and understanding towards his teammates. Korina, his mother, says, “Thank you SO, SO much for such a great program. Evan is part of something he loves and learning skills, athletic and social. It’s a win-win!!!”