Matt Schickling, the Wire
Life without a limb is limitless.
That’s a motto that the Wounded Warrior Softball Team can prove. The team is made up of U.S. soldiers and veterans who sustained severe injuries in the line of duty resulting in amputation
The message is inspiring, and the players have some serious skills.
And thanks to a collaborative effort by the Lower Moreland and Bryn Athyn communities, they will be bringing both to Lower Moreland High School on May 2.
The idea came from Lower Moreland resident Cloie Volz, who last spring saw the team play in Franconia Township.
“There’s people who cry when they have a little cold, and you see these guys pick themselves up. It’s just phenomenal,” Volz said. “I couldn’t wait to take it back to our township.”
Volz pitched the idea to Lower Moreland School District Superintendent Marykay Feeley.
“In October 2014, she came into my office with such excitement, exuberance and certainly the expectation of, ‘We can do this. Let’s do this. We have to do this,’ ” Feeley said.
They found out it’s something easier said than done. After working out some logistics including transportation, lodging and meals for the players, converting the high school baseball field to softball field, securing adequate parking and coordinating various other details, the cost is estimated at $15,000.
So far, they have gained several sponsors and raised $7,500, but that’s only halfway there. The district is accepting check donations from anyone willing to help.
“There’s been an outpouring of generosity from a great number of folks,” Lower Moreland Athletic Director Mark Mayson said.
Mayson, along with Academy of the New Church Athletic Director Shawn Synnestvedt, have been coordinating things on the schools’ end.
“Mark has served as the conductor and composer of this symphony,” Feeley said. “There are hundreds of details.”
Lower Moreland has even had some outside help.
Kip McFatridge, a member of the Willow Grove VFW, has also assisted in this effort and is handling in-service donations both for the event and players.
For the event, there are two games. The first will be at noon, and the Warriors will be playing Lower Moreland and Bryn Athyn first responders. The second will start at 2 p.m., and school personnel will take on the Warriors, which apparently is no simple task.
“We only play able-body teams,” David Van Sleet, a U.S. Army veteran and the team’s general manager, said. “It shows what level they can compete on.”
Van Sleet started the team in 2011, combining his military background with his career in prosthetics with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since, the team has recruited a 30-man roster and played about 30 different venues per year across a total of 32 states.
“A lot of these guys didn’t think they were going to live. They knew they weren’t going to walk, and certainly weren’t going to play a sport again,” Van Sleet said.
But extensive rehabilitation and miles of perseverance proved that wrong.
“This has given them a second chance to be on a team, to travel, be around their comrades,” Van Sleet added. “It’s not only helped them physically, it’s helped them mentally.”
That’s the kind of message Lower Moreland and Bryn Athyn schools could get behind. A few of the players are flying in early to share their stories with Lower Moreland students the day before the game. Feeley hopes that when students hear these veterans speak or see the team play, they’ll understand that life, regardless of any adversity, has no limits.
“There should be no obstacle that you can’t overcome and there’s no better opportunity to show that to students,” Feeley said. “The message for our kids is you can do and be anything you want to do and be.”
The Wounded Warrior Softball games will take place at Lower Moreland High School baseball field on May 2, starting at noon. Because of limited seating, it is recommended for attendants to bring blankets or chairs. There is no cost for admission. For information, visit www.lmwoundedwarrior.com.
To make a donation, send a check to Lower Moreland Township School District, 2551 Murray Ave., Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. Checks can be made payable to Lower Moreland Township School District, with Wounded Warrior Project in the memo line.
For in-service donations, contact Kip McFatridge at McFatridge@gmail.com.
