Radnor and Haverford families with children or adults who have disabilities can sign up for an adaptive baseball league that is adding a fall season after rapid growth in Delaware County.
The Miracle League of Delaware County hit its 75-player capacity this spring, up from 60 in its inaugural year, and founder Joe Marra is now pursuing both a fall season and a permanent home for the program.
Marra launched the league in spring 2025 after receiving franchise approval from the national Miracle League organization. The national office advised him to expect 20 to 30 players in the first year. Sixty signed up.
Registration for the current season closed in February after reaching the 75-player cap. Marra, who serves as president and executive director, attributed the demand to the area's sports culture, telling Main Line Today that Delco is a sports-driven community.
The league pairs each athlete with an able-bodied "buddy" and plays on rubberized turf that accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices. Any person age 3 or older with a diagnosed disability or an IEP/504 plan is eligible. The registration fee is $30 per player, which Marra said doesn't even cover a hat. The league places no restrictions on residency, meaning families anywhere in the region can register.
Games are held at the MSI Sports Complex in Upper Chichester. But strong demand has accelerated plans for a permanent facility: a $1.6 million project at Catania Park in Ridley Park, where an existing T-ball field would be converted into a Miracle League complex with play targeted for spring 2027.
"We wanted to build the league, then worry about the field and capital project," Marra said. "Now we know there's most definitely a need."
The national Miracle League network spans more than 350 communities across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, serving more than 450,000 participants. A separate Chester County effort, founded by Jim Moore of Nottingham, is planning its own $1.3 million to $1.5 million facility in East Goshen Township on a 16-acre park off Airport Road, with groundbreaking also targeted for spring 2027.
Radnor and Haverford residents interested in registering a player or volunteering as a buddy for the fall season can contact Marra at 484-802-9993 or [email protected]. More information is available at miracleleaguedelco.com.
Coming up:
- Miracle League of Delaware County fall season — dates to be announced; contact Marra to be notified
- Catania Park permanent facility — targeted spring 2027, Ridley Park
