For Amanda Zamara, a proud mom of two Miracle League athletes, parenting comes with both deep love and daily challenges. “I’m an autism mom,” she says. “That means I’ve been tasked with teaching two little people how to live and thrive in a world that wasn’t designed to accommodate their needs.”
Like many parents of children with diverse abilities, Amanda wears many hats—advocate, teacher, cheerleader, and often, healer of broken hearts. “Too often it’s mending broken hearts after repeated rejection,” she shares. “But the one thing I spend most of my time doing is finding opportunities for my children to just get to be kids in an environment that is welcoming and accepting of their differences. And let me tell you—that’s easier said than done.”
Then they found the YMCA’s Miracle League baseball program.
“This is the first community I’ve found for my family, outside of a therapist’s office, where I didn’t feel like I had to apologize for a meltdown. Or explain a diagnosis. Or be self-conscious about my kids’ developing social skills,” Amanda says. “I could just sit on the bleachers and watch my kids be kids with a little help from some angels in the outfield.”
The coaches and volunteers behind Miracle League ensure that every child is seen, supported, and celebrated. “No striking out. Everyone gets to feel like a hero crossing home plate.”
Amanda recalls one moment that captured it all: Archer’s first game at Monroe Rotary Field. “It’s the first time and place I’ve ever felt like my family has truly belonged—and that is such a powerful thing. I remember the stinging tears of joy that streamed down my face that first time I heard the crowd go wild for Archer when he hit his first ball.”
Because of donors to the YMCA’s Community Campaign, programs like Miracle League are offered at no cost to families. “Most people in my position would pay any amount of money to be able to have that experience,” says Zamara. “But miraculously, the Y offers this amazing, lifechanging program absolutely free.”
