If I was looking for proof that I’m older than I’d like to acknowledge, this episode’s guest on Conversations, Nick Lionas, certainly helps drive that point home.
Nick was part of the first class of students I taught … 26-and-a-half years ago!
Yep, back in January of 2000, the principal of Rochester’s (MI) Hart Middle School, Dan Hickey, took a flyer on a freshly certified educator with a journalism background to teach English Language Arts to a group of seventh-grade students.
Nick was among them.
So imagine my surprise, a quarter century later, when I’m watching an otherwise meaningless mid-August Detroit Tigers game, and Nick’s name flashes across my television.
Nick was on the telecast to discuss the organization he works for, Easterseals of Michigan’s Macomb-Oakland Regional Center (MORC) and The Miracle League.
Nick is the Director of Miracle League Programs and Community Engagement for MORC and joined the Tigers telecast to chat about the partnership between The Miracle League and the Tigers.
What is The Miracle League, you ask?
The Miracle League is an adaptive sports and recreation program that provides children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities the chance to play organized baseball and join other team activities.
Founded in 2000 in Conyers, GA, The Miracle League’s Mission is to:
- Provide opportunities for children with disabilities to play Miracle League baseball, regardless of their abilities;
- Promote community support and sponsorship of Miracle League;
- Promote the construction of special facilities that meet the unique needs of Miracle League players and their families.
Not to be outdone, I found Nick’s contact information and sent him an email hoping that he’d want to talk sports – and The Miracle League, of course – with his seventh-grade ELA teacher.
He did!
And in this episode of Conversations, I catch up with a student from long ago who’s gone on to make this old teacher (I’m leaning into it now:-) proud.