Thanks to donations from Rotary Clubs, BlueCross BlueShield of TN, the Miller Family Foundation and several others, the City opened the second Miracle League field in the state of Tennessee. The Miracle League field features a specially-designed and built baseball diamond for children of all abilities.
Miracle League is an organization that started in Georgia. Today, there are more than 300 Miracle League organizations that serve 200,000 plus children and adults.
In addition to the field, the City partnered with Play & Park Structures, a PlayCore company, to design a play environment that would address the needs of the whole child.
The playground’s design uniquely aligns with the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design™, an evidence-based design philosophy developed in partnership with PlayCore and Utah State University’s Center for Persons with Disabilities, offering a multigenerational play destination that breaks down physical and social barriers.
In addition to providing an inclusive playground space, the site is also recognized for Play On!, a program created in partnership with PlayCore and SHAPE America, as it promotes physical activity through the six elements of play to create developmentally appropriate challenges and fun for all. SHAPE America is a governing body that establishes standards for developing physically literate students.
“We will be breaking barriers, not just ground,” said Kim Chapman, co-anchor of NewsChannel 9 and co-founder of the Miracle League of Chattanooga.
To continue to celebrate the community’s commitment to advancing play and recreation through best practices, the Miracle League Playground will receive a certificate of recognition, become a part of a network of National Demonstration Sites featured as a part of an online map, and will be promoted actively to other communities wishing to create recreation spaces using design and/or programming. For more information about the Miracle League of Chattanooga, visit http://www.miracleleaguechatt.com. To locate the new site, check out https://www.playcore.com/nds/map