On Saturday, September 16, patients from Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) and Shriners Hospital for Children Medical Center – Lexington learned there are no limits to what they can do. Participating in sports provides opportunities to learn valuable lessons. Through organized sports young athletes learn to be part of a team, stay committed, and push their limits.
The annual No Limits Sports Camp, hosted by Shriners Medical Center, was a little different this year. With their recent move to the UK medical campus on South Limestone, Shriners Medical Center needed a new venue for their event. UK Athletics offered Cliff Hagan Stadium and John Cropp Stadium and some help from the members of the UK Baseball and UK Softball teams and head coaches Rachel Lawson and Nick Mingione
Throughout the day, patients had a chance to practice and develop their baseball or softball skills with drills in batting, catching, throwing, and nutrition. A member of UK Baseball or UK Softball accompanied their “buddy” to each of the stations to help them one on one.
Illness can often take away the opportunity for young patients to have the same experiences as other children or their siblings. Sometimes things that happen outside of a clinical setting can be incredibly beneficial for health and wellness. Scottie Day, MD, physician-in-chief of Kentucky Children’s Hospital said, “The opportunity for a child to attend this camp gives them an experience that proves to have a long-lasting effect on psychosocial development, including self-esteem, peer relationships, independence, leadership, values, and willingness to try new things.”