Baseball league for teens, adults with autism and other disabilities coming to Las Cruces

Las Cruces Sun-News - 7/5/2021

LAS CRUCES – A new baseball league is coming to town in the next few months.

The Alternative Baseball Organization offers a structured baseball experience for those 15 and older with autism and other disabilities.

Taylor Duncan, the 25-year-old commissioner and director of the organization, started the program after seeing that there were not many team sports options for people with disabilities. Duncan, who has autism himself, started the organization in 2016 when he was 20 years old.

"There's just not much that's out there that directly caters to those adults with disabilities," Duncan said. "There needs to be many, many more services out there."

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Duncan explained that he doesn't qualify for the Special Olympics because he tests too high on an IQ test, but standard sports teams aren't a good fit either. He and many others with disabilities are "stuck in the middle" of the two levels.

A growing league

Currently, there are about 80 teams across 30 states, and the organization hopes to keep expanding.

Duncan said the group experienced a huge amount of growth during the COVID-19 pandemic; the 20 teams at the beginning of the pandemic quadrupled in a little over a year.

ABO recently launched a team in Albuquerque, which has drawn about 35 participants. However, the team hasn't begun practices and games due to the state's restrictions, which were essentially lifted on July 1.

Duncan explained the Albuquerque organization wanted to have another group nearby.

"They'll have somebody somewhat closer to play against within their own state without having to go all the way to Texas or Colorado Springs or to Phoenix," Duncan said.

Duncan added that ABO helps its participants as more than just a pastime: physical exercise and socialization skills are big parts of the group's mission.

ABO is open to anyone 15 and older with any disability. Duncan said the cost per year is no more than $40 per player, and varies at each location to cover equipment and coaching costs.

"All are encouraged to be the best they can be," Duncan said. "They are accepted for who they are to build confidence needed to fulfill (their) dreams in life, on and off the baseball diamond."

ABO is looking for a coach manager and players in the Las Cruces area. Visit www.alternativebaseball.org for more information.

Miranda Cyr, a Report for America corps member, can be reached at mcyr@lcsun-news.com or @mirandabcyr on Twitter. Show your support for the Report for America program at https://bit.ly/LCSNRFA.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Baseball league for teens, adults with autism and other disabilities coming to Las Cruces

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