“I took one look across the field yesterday and got a glimpse of the way this world should be. In the air there was a spirit of cooperation, inclusiveness, laughter, humility and acceptance. Every child was doing their best. Not to compete, not to win, not for a score or a trophy. All of them are already winners. Being part of the experience was the reward.”

With the above words, Glenda Hux watched her daughter Gracie play T-ball with other children in the Brookhaven Recreation Department’s special needs T-ball team.

The recreation department offers special needs T-ball in the spring and special needs soccer in the fall. Parents of participating children say the program has been a wonderful experience.

“It’s been awesome. With other teams there’s more competition, everybody’s got to win, got to hit the ball,” Margaret Felder, mother of Denzel Felder, said. “Here there are no parents judging you, and it’s a comfort zone, I love it.”

Kail Garrett, Jimmy Furlow Senior Citizen Center director, heads up the team and encourages parents to explore what the recreation department has to offer.

“There are so many activities and different things that we offer in Brookhaven that would be very beneficial,” Garrett said. “I think recreation is for everyone — for everyone and anyone who wants to get involved and be active. It’s good for the kids and its good for the parents because they get to network with other parents.”

Parents agreed that the team allows them to socialize and form a community.

“No matter what your child’s disability is or why you are here, we’re all going through the same journey, so it’s nice just to compare notes and talk,” Shannon Miller said. “It’s good to see the parents because we’re all kind of alike in a way.”

For the children, it offers a space to just have fun and be kids, which parents said is sometimes hard to come by.

“Kids with disabilities do a lot of time doing different therapies, whether it be speech, occupational, physical, tutoring or special education classes,” Miller said. “This just gives them a chance to have fun and to be together to be part of a group. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of other opportunities in other organized sports and activities in town.”

Felder said she sees a need in Brookhaven and Mississippi at large for more activities like the T-ball program and thinks there may be parents that can’t get information about similar programs and hopes that more people will talk about it in the future.

Miller noted that while the program is labeled “special needs,” many kids that may fall outside that term could benefit from it.

“I think that covers a lot of ground—there’s so many kids in this area that would benefit from participating and programs like T-ball and soccer — any kids that might not fit in or just don’t play baseball. I just encourage more kids to do it.”

Garrett said she has seen how beneficial the program can be for children’s growth after witnessing a child that started the T-ball program last year.

“He went from needing a parent with him for hitting, throwing and running to now doing it all by himself. We all need people to help us along the way. I know it might not always be the easy thing to do but in the long run it’s the best thing for them, it helps them grow, not only in sports but in life.”

The team uses special bats and softballs during games that reduce the risk of injury for the players. Each season lasts eight weeks.  To learn more about the special needs T-ball and soccer program, call the Brookhaven Recreation Department at (601)-833-3791 or go to brookhavenrecreation.com.