Community Corner

Inspirational Story Behind First Buddy Baseball Scholarship

Delaney Stano, 18, has been participating in the non-profit league for three years.

When Buddy Baseball Commissioner Russ Oberbroeckling paired Delaney Stano and Devin Jodway together two seasons ago, he couldn’t have known what a terrific decision he had made.

“Every season they request to have each other again,” Oberbroeckling said.

Buddy Baseball is a non-competitive recreational league for boys and girls with special needs. Each player is paired with a “buddy” who assists the player as needed. Not only does the program foster friendships, it also allows children with special needs to be part of a team.

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The non-profit program draws kids from all over the Tampa area. Seasons are played in the spring and fall at the Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex softball fields.

The league just wrapped up it’s spring season and had a party to celebrate on Saturday. There, buddy Delaney, 18, received the organization’s first Buddy Baseball Scholarship: $500 meant to go toward his education at Florida College, where he plans to major in history with aspirations to become a history teacher.

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“It’ll help me quite a bit,” said Delaney, who is finishing up 12th-grade at Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School and has a 5.1 GPA. “I’m really thankful to the organization for this and the opportunity to get involved in the community.”

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Oberbroeckling said the league plans to award the scholarship to a buddy every spring. This year, applicants were required to have played Buddy Baseball for at least three seasons. They also had to write a 400-word essay describing their experiences and the reasons they participated.

“We had quite the elaborate application process,” Oberbroeckling said.

Delaney said he first heard about Buddy Baseball from a friend three years ago.

“It sounded really cool,” he said. “I tried it out, and I really enjoyed it.”

Devin has autism, and as a buddy, Delaney helps him with whatever he needs. He assists Devin with his stance and the way he holds the bat. He reminds Devin to keep his eye on the ball and protects him if a wayward ball might hurt him.

The best part of being a buddy? According to Delaney, it’s seeing the players genuinely appreciate the game.

“The joy and excitement that they have is just great,” he said.

And, Delaney has learned skills that he’ll carry with him.

“It helps me understand people’s situations and relating to people,” he said.

One of the reasons Devin, 14, loves Buddy Baseball is because of his buddy, said his grandmother, Paula St.Clair.

“He just looks forward every time to seeing Delaney,” St.Clair said.

They talk when they’re out on the bases.

“He’s just very gentle with him and talks very softly,” she said of Delaney. “He just has a mannerism about him.”

She said Buddy Baseball is wonderful for Devin socially.

“He’s never played any kind of sports, and just being out there with other kids—it’s just a great experience for him,” she explained.

Devin’s favorite color is green, so when he signed up for Buddy Baseball, Oberbroeckling put him on the green team. Delaney has had a green bat since he was in elementary school. At the end of the season, he gave the bat to Devin.

“That just meant so much to me and Devin that Delaney would do that,” St.Clair said. “He’s just a super, super kid.”

Delaney said his most rewarding experience with Buddy Baseball came at the end of one of the games.

“Every game, they hand out a game ball,” he said. “So, [Devin would] ask me every time: ‘Who’s gonna get the game ball? Who’s gonna get the game ball?’ Finally, when he won it—that was awesome!”

The next season of Buddy Baseball begins Sept. 28 and the season will last for seven weeks. Registration will open in July. Games are played on Saturdays. Players must be between the ages of 8 and 22 and have special needs. Buddies must be between the ages of 10 and 18. For more information, visit Buddy Baseball online.

See also:

  • Buddy Baseball Kicks Off New Season
  • Girl Scout Helped Others Get in the Game


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