David Ramos, CEO and commissioner of A League of Their Own (ALOTO), has helped expand the Tampa organization to the Riverview area, providing a place where adults with unique abilities come together to enjoy the game of baseball. The inaugural season starts on Saturday, April 11.
ALOTO was founded by Stephenie Coonrod and Dennis Mueller, both of whom were inspired by their children with Down syndrome.
A League of Their Own provides athletes with mental and physical disabilities a chance to compete in sports that they normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to partake in. Participants in the league are 18 years and older. According to Ramos, it has athletes in their 60s.
Ramos is also the executive director and founder of First Steps Learning, which provides services to intellectually disabled adults. The agency has 12 employees, who were rigorously screened and are compassionate toward others. The former assistant principal in Hillsborough County teamed up with A League of Their Own to give disabled athletes a chance to show their individuality and give them a sense of community. In his time working with children with autism and Down syndrome, he developed a love for that community and started his agency, First Steps Learning, and brought his clients to the league.
“The league is one of the happiest environments. These are folks that have often never been seen their entire lives because of their disability,” said Ramos. “Oftentimes, they are marginalized and their needs are considered last, and many of them have never played in a sports league. I wanted to give them an opportunity to shine.”
Ramos’ clients have aged out of school and don’t have many social activities. As a part of his agency, his clients are given the opportunity to go out and have a fun time, and this also provides the parents some relief. He wants them to have an opportunity to compete in a league, have fans cheer for them, have the announcer say their name and have walkout music. ALOTO wants to give the players that special feeling that major league players experience.
A League of Their Own wants to expand to other areas besides Riverview and Tampa to help serve more people with disabilities. It has raised funds for the cause but still needs volunteers and donations to get things off the ground. The Tampa Bay Rays donated a field with artificial turf to the league. The astroturf is necessary for players who are nonambulatory and use wheelchairs to get around the bases safely.
“This community has so much love,” said Ramos. “They just want to be seen, to be normal and to not be treated differently. Seeing their joy is my favorite part of the job.”
For more information, or if you want to volunteer or donate to the league, visit www.alotoriverview.org.
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