New York, Aug. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There’s now another team playing baseball in New York. Lighthouse Guild has launched New York’s newest blind baseball team –Lighthouse Guild Lightning. The announcement was made yesterday by Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, President & CEO of Lighthouse Guild at a free blind baseball clinic sponsored by Lighthouse Guild and the U.S. Blind Baseball Association in Central Park.
The blind baseball clinic was attended by over 100 people who were there to learn and experience the game. Participants also gave a rousing cheer after an announcement about a new soon to be favorite New York sports team – The Lighthouse Guild Lightning. The event was open to individuals who are visually impaired as well as to those who are fully sighted.
“Sports can be a healthy way to build confidence and have fun,” said Dr. Roberts. “The launch of Lighthouse Guild Lightning will help raise awareness not only about the sport of adaptive blind baseball, but also about vision health in sports and the importance of individuals who are visually impaired staying active.”
The Lighthouse Guild Lightning team will be a participating member of the U.S. Blind Baseball Association (USBBA), a charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to the development, management, regulation and promotion of Blind Baseball teams, players, coaches, volunteers, and umpires in the United States. Formed earlier this year by hall-of-fame college baseball coach Donald Landolphi and Ed Plumacher, the USBBA organization is contracted by and works closely with Associazone Italiana Baseball Giocato Da Ciechi (AIBXC), the international governing body for this adaptive sport.
The Adaptive Sport of Blind Baseball is growing in the U.S. and internationally. The inspiration to form the Lighthouse Guild Lightning team was sparked by members of the USA Bronze-winning team in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Blind Baseball International Cup, held in the Netherlands in 2022.
The sport incorporates aspects of traditional baseball while adding accessible components designed to provide players auditory cues and signals. Each player, whether batting, running, or fielding, wears a blindfold to create equal ability with people with varying degrees of visual impairment. Players rely on sound, from bells inside a baseball size ball to clappers and an electronic horn for base runners to safely navigate the diamond. Fielders heavily rely on communication from their teammates at other positions to help locate the ball once it’s in play. These requirements culminate in a way that teaches players to work in a team setting and promote individual responsibility.
“I am excited to be a member of the Lighthouse Guild Lightning blind baseball team,” says team member Carolina Vollo. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to participate in sports and have camaraderie with others who love this sport. I look forward to competing with teams around the world, and increasing awareness of blind baseball and vision loss.”
About Lighthouse Guild
Lighthouse Guild provides exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals, offering coordinated care for eye health, vision rehabilitation, technology, and behavioral health as well as related services. The Lighthouse Guild Technology Center provides people with vision loss access to the latest assistive devices and state-of-the-art technology. The Lighthouse Guild podcast series, “On Tech & Vision with Dr. Cal Roberts,” offers information and insights about technological innovations that are tearing down barriers for people who are blind or visually impaired.
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