MSU baseball and softball programs host ‘Field of Dreams’ event with the Beautiful Lives Project

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – The Michigan State baseball and softball programs hosted their third annual ‘Field of Dreams’ event with the Beautiful Lives Project on Thursday, enjoying a day of baseball and softball with 60 adults and children with disabilities.

Per their website, the Beautiful Lives Project aims to give adults and children with disabilities opportunities to experience sports and other activities that may not otherwise be available to them due to physical or facility limitations.

The Spartan baseball and softball players helped teach the basic skills of the game, played catch and hit off a tee with the Beautiful Lives Project participants.

“These young kids walk out of here with a big smile on their face and that’s the goal,” said MSU baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. “So I think it’s important to realize the platform that we have and the abilities that our kids have been given, and again, to give back to some of the youth in the area.”

“We want softball to be enjoyable as coaches for our players every day,” added MSU softball coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley. “So to have an event like this and gain some perspective, do it a little bit different and just have a different viewpoint I think is awesome.”

The Beautiful Lives Project was co-founded by Bryce Weiler, who was at McLane Stadium for the event on Thursday and spoke to the Spartan teams afterward.

Weiler noticed the need for an organization like the Beautiful Lives Project and got to work years ago. Today, the Beautiful Lives Project holds dozens of these events annually with different teams and organizations across the country.

“Most importantly, it helps them to create friendships and a sense of belief in themselves,” Weiler said of the organization’s goals. “It shows them that no matter what someone’s obstacle and challenge is in life, that anyone can live their dreams in life if they are willing to believe in themselves and willing to work their hardest to achieve their goals and dreams.”

Weiler, who is blind, has shown that willingness to believe in himself and work hard to achieve his own dreams through becoming a broadcaster. Even though he has not been able to see since just a few days after he was born, Weiler has broadcast over 150 sporting events.

In fact, it was through working on the radio broadcast of a baseball game for the University of Evansville that he first got in touch with Boss Jr.

“Michigan State played at Evansville in 2022,” Weiler explained. “My friend Tom Benson taught me how to broadcast games on the radio at Evansville and was helping out at that series and I asked him, could he speak to Coach Boss about me? He said ‘well, Michigan State hasn’t played so great this series, I don’t think Coach Boss is going to be in a very good mood.’ So, it didn’t bother me. I reached out to him a couple days later… and Coach Boss has had me out here for three years doing those events with Michigan State.”

For the Spartan athletes, the event provided a perspective and renewed gratitude for the opportunities they have at MSU.

“What they’re going through is a lot but every single one of them has a smile on their face,” said Ryan McKay, a sophomore infielder on the baseball team. “To be able to just run around with them, see them laugh, hopefully we gave them a good time. But to learn from them, it shows how lucky we are to be where we are playing Division I baseball and to be able to share that with them is amazing.”

“I think it’s definitely just being able to look at perspective and just view that as something, you know, it’s a blessing to be out here and just be doing what we do,” added Hannah Hawley, a junior catcher on the softball team.

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