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Heather Miller founded the Buddy League, an orga- nization for baseball play- ers with mental and physi- cal disabilities in 2002 in Garland, Texas. It started with just 10 players, but 16 years later there are more than 160. Inspired by the award-winning documen- tary appropriately coined The Buddy League from 2013, Cam Linwood is bringing the adaptive base- ball organization, which is for players with mental and physical disabilities, to the Waterloo Region. "I strongly believe that there is an opportunity to build something like this in the Waterloo Region," said Lin- wood, who began work on starting the league in Sep- tember 2017. "Essentially we want it to be accessible, to have anyone who wouldn't typically feel comfortable playing in a traditional baseball pro- gram." Buddy League Canada, which is currently under pre-registration, will be played at A. Wayne Taylor Park behind Saginaw Pub- lic School in Cambridge. The inaugural season of the league is set to begin in early June, with spring training taking place in May.What separates the Buddy League from other adaptive baseball pro- grams is that it will have a traditional set up with teams and games, as op- posed to just teaching the players fundamentals of the game. The league is welcome to players from anywhere with no regional boundaries. "The Buddy League is really for every- one, we want to make sure that the players are partici- pating in a safe, exciting program," said Linwood. "But we want to get buddies involved, community vol- unteers and people in the community involved to support our players on the field as well."Linwood add- ed that the number of bud- dies for each team will be determined based on the level of need of the players on the squad. Linwood, 38, has spent more than 10 years as the president and head coach of the Cam- bridge Ice Hounds, an ice hockey squad for adults and children with mental and physical disabilities. "I think the prospect of pro- viding an opportunity for kids and adults with spe- cial needs to participate in traditional sports is a real- ly big motivator for me," Linwood said. "I think it's really important that they have every opportunity available to them." One of those players with special needs was Miller's son, Ben, who wasn't allowed to participate in little league at the time, prompting the Miller's to found the Buddy League. Linwood, a com- munications co-ordinator at the Grand River Conser- vation Authority by day, reached out to Miller for permission and received not only permission, but al- so a blessing to go ahead with the project. "I am so excited that there will be a Buddy league in Canada," said Miller via email. "Bud- dy League is my passion and its such a blessing to spend time with our amaz- ing athletes." However, the organization is still looking to the community for spon- sors and is working through the process of be- coming an incorporated, not-for-profit organization. Registration fees will be a part of their funding model as well. Linwood says pre- registration for the league has been strong and the re- sponse has been "positive." Rather then split up play- ers by age, the coed league will be divided by ability. SPORTS Buddy League coming to Waterloo Region this summer The Buddy League founded by Cam Linwood (left) attended the Kitchener Summer Camps and Recreation fair on Feb. 12. Josh Murphy Baseball league founded by adaptive sports advocate Cam Linwood NAMISH MODI nmodi@waterloochronicle.ca "Essentially, we want it to be accessible to have anyone who wouldn't typically feel comfortable playing in a traditional baseball program," - Cam Linwood