For almost 170 years, baseball has been America’s favorite pastime. People of all ages can play, relate with and bond over baseball. Unfortunately, there are many people who have been diagnosed with natural disabilities and never get the opportunity to play the game that the world around them worships. One organization has come up with a brilliant solution. In the Los Angeles Valley, West Hills Baseball Facilities is a hotspot for local youths to experience both friendly and aggressive competition. In 2011, 13 year-old baseball player, Kole Kodimer created an original plan that he believed would change the lives of dozens of families in the regional area. As part of a community service project for his bar mitzvah, Kodimer approached West Hills Baseball with his fresh idea, called West Hills Champions Baseball League. His goal was to compose a league of disabled children from across the valley who could practice and play in organized games. West Hills Baseball loved Kodimer’s proposition and approved the deal.
However, the success of the program was not obvious at the start. Only two players had signed up for the first season of West Hills Champions. Local students from around the county helped save the league. El Camino High School students volunteered along with various other groups of teens to attract more participants to the ballpark. Today, students from Agoura, Westlake, Chaminade, El Camino, and Calabasas High School support the league.
For the past three years, West Hills Champions has been partnered up with the CHS baseball team. Senior Jordan Schore realized the potential in the program in 2011 and decided to get CHS involved with Kodimer’s plan.
Every Tuesday, the CHS Coyotes run practices for the Champions teams and teach the players how to hit, catch and throw.
Since 2011, more than 30 CHS players have worked with the champions at West Hills and have formed unbelievable bonds with them. Both disabled and non-disabled kids connect on the field in a way that can only be described as special.
“While we love the games, the best part of our program has to be the practices,” says Kole Kodimer’s mother, Lisa Kodimer. “It is wonderful to see the players actually learn the terms and techniques of baseball.”
Several varsity members return on Sundays to help their champions play in games. Up to nine players participate on six teams. Each player has his or her turn at bat in every short game which consists of one or two innings This year will be the most populated season for the league and there is a bigger crowd than ever before at West Hills.
At CHS, the relationship between the baseball players and the special needs program is strong. Rachel Lieberman is a student at CHS and a champion at West Hills. Whenever the team sees her on campus they make sure to say hello and she is always excited to give high fives to each one of her buddies she knows from her experiences with West Hills Champions.
“The best part of the program is the bond that the champions form with their buddies,” said varsity member Max Sonnenberg.
Sonnenberg believes that his work with the program is crucial and aims to make a difference in the world one life at a time.
West Hills Champions is proud to be recognized for combining the various cultures and people of the valley under one common interest. Other leagues such as Westlake Pony and Encino Baseball are inspired by West Hills and hope to start similar programs themselves. There are currently more than 50 players and 100 volunteers involved with the program. Baseball is a vital part of American culture. CHS baseball is honored to be affiliated with a project that is even more important than the game. The story of West Hills Champions is an example of how a simple idea of uniting a community can turn into a homerun.
