Newton Tales is an ongoing series exploring the rich history of Newton County.
COVINGTON, Ga. — County leaders broke ground on the Miracle League Complex at City Pond Park nearly one decade ago. Now, come fall of 2024, it could be the site of the Miracle League’s All-Star Weekend.
About 10 years ago, there were reportedly 2,700 special needs students in the Newton County Schools system, but there were zero playgrounds or programs in place designed specifically for people special needs.
Tommy Hailey, former director of Newton County’s now defunct recreation commission, saw the need for such amenities from afar.
National Miracle League Association’s Origin
In 2006, while attending a national conference in Seattle, Washington, Hailey met then-Miracle League Program Director Stephanie Davis. Hailey learned a lot about the National Miracle League Association, which was founded and still headquartered in Conyers.
The National Miracle League Association’s origin dates back to 1997 when Eddie Bagwell, a coach for Rockdale Youth Baseball Association at the time, invited the first child with a disability to play baseball on his team.
One year later, other special needs children were invited to play. They wanted to play baseball just like their peers — making plays and rounding the bases, all while donning a uniform.
And so, the league began. Four teams with 35 players split among them in the first season.
In 1999, the new league gained so much support that more than 50 players participated locally, but there were so many more across metro Atlanta waiting to be reached.
By 2002, the Miracle League was officially formed and had grown to more than 250 players on rosters. The first Miracle League Field was constructed and opened in April 2000. The complex included a custom-designed field with a cushioned rubberized surface to help prevent injuries, wheelchair accessible dugouts, and a completely flat surface to eliminate any barriers to wheelchair-bound or visually impaired players.
The design also included three grass fields, which could be converted to the synthetic rubber surface as the league grew. In addition, accessible restrooms, a concession stand and picnic pavilion were included in the design.
Today, there are more than 300 Miracle League clubs across the nation, including Puerto Rico, and even a few in Canada and Mexico. These clubs serve over 200,000 children and adults.
Hailey brings Miracle League to Newton
In 2008, Hailey bumped into Davis again — this time while on a walk in his community.
It turned out the two were neighbors.
After continued discussion about Miracle League, Hailey had heard enough. He wanted a Miracle League Field in Newton County.
From there, Hailey had the Newton County Recreation Commission become a member of the National Miracle League Association and started plans to create a nearly $2 million facility that would include a special baseball field and playgrounds.
One year later the recreation department partnered with several civic groups across the county to make Hailey’s vision a reality.
In 2011, Newton County voters approved $1.5 million of a $58 million Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum to be designated to fund construction of the Miracle League Complex.
The Georgia Department of Corrections also provided inmate labor to help with the construction, which saved between 30-45% on the project’s overall cost.
A ceremonial ground breaking event was held Aug. 21, 2012.
“There are 2,074 children in our schools with mental and physical disabilities, and that’s why we are all here,” Miracle League of Newton County consultant Tamara Richardson said at the time. “I am so excited that we are, very soon, going to have something in Newton County for y’all to play.”
Following the complex’s completion, Miracle League of Newton County held its inaugural Opening Day on April 25, 2015.
“It’s very exciting,” Hailey said at the time. “You see something you were able to be a part of starting and overcoming obstacles that we’ve had to overcome with the weather throughout the year. It’s just great to be here and be a part of it.”
Laurie Gates, whose daughter played in the Newton County League at the time, called the opening of Newton’s Miracle League Complex “awesome.”
“Because kids like my daughter, we don’t have to travel as far to play now and [we] know that she’s with good company,” she told The Covington News in 2015. “They’ve done all of this for kids so they can play a game just like everybody else… We appreciate everything that everybody’s done.”
