40-team Autism Awareness Challenge proves baseball is 'more than just a game
By
on April 03, 2019 7:45 AM,
updated April 03, 2019 9:50 AM
on April 03, 2019 7:45 AM,
updated April 03, 2019 9:50 AM
Baseball is more than just a game.
That was the message that Autism Awareness Challenge founder Mike Garlatti conveyed to the Edison High School cafeteria packed with baseball players Sunday night.
Forty baseball teams from as far south as Millville and as north as Montvale and Ramapo met at the Middlesex County school the night before opening day to learn about autism.
In two weeks, all 40 teams - coming from 13 different counties - will compete in the 12th annual Autism Awareness Challenge at North Brunswick Community Park - a three day event spanning from April 12 to April 14.
While the showcase features loaded matchups - including No. 1 Delbarton vs. No. 8 Red Bank Catholic and No. 11 St. Peter’s Prep vs. No. 18 Christian Brothers - it also brings together two different communities to share the joy of baseball.
“We’re getting baseball fans to come out and learn about autism awareness and we’re getting the autism community out to see some good baseball,” Garlatti said.
The showcase has blossomed from its first year, which had eight teams playing on just one day. Now it features 20 games.
Millburn has been part of the showcase for years and coach Brian Chapman has watched it explode into the must-see baseball event that it is now.
“When I think about the growth of the event I think about two things,” Chapman said. “First, I think of the level of respect that we all have for Mike Garlatti as a baseball person, but also as a man and a father. Second, I think about how amazing it is to be part of a fraternity of coaches that take this event so seriously and pour their hearts into it.”
The sought after showcase already has a waitlist of nine teams and was one that Millville coach Roy Hallenbeck was dying to get in on after hearing Garlatti’s passion for the event - even if that meant an hour and a half bus ride on a Friday afternoon.
“It was Mike that got us so interested in this showcase,” Hallenbeck said. “When he approached me with it, he was so passionate about the cause. That made me buy in right away. Like every team around the country, we’re trying to expose our kids to something greater than just a locker room or field. We want them to see the bigger picture. We thought this was an outstanding opportunity to do just that.”
Millville and every other team in the showcase will get their look at the bigger picture first hand. In addition to fundraising for the event, each squad is given an honorary autistic player to join their team for the day and throw out the first pitch.
“This is an unbelievable event,” Delbarton coach Bruce Shatel said. “Mike is a dear friend of mine. What he does to raise awareness for autism is unbelievable. I have so much respect for him and his family for what they do over the course of that weekend and leading up to that weekend.”
AUTISM AWARENESS CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
Friday, April 12
Scotch Plains-Fanwood vs. Millville, 4
Voorhees vs. Spotswood, 4
Metuchen vs. Iselin Kennedy, 7
East Brunswick Tech vs. Henry Hudson, 7
Saturday, April 13
Highland Park vs. South River, 10
J.P. Stevens vs. Elizabeth, 10
Somerville vs. Jackson Memorial, 1
Steinert vs. Colonia, 1
Red Bank Catholic vs. Delbarton, 4
St. Joseph (Met.) vs. St. Joseph (Mont.), 4
South Plainfield vs. Millburn, 7
Sayreville vs. Old Bridge, 7
Sunday, April 14
Bishop Ahr vs. Bernards, 10
South Amboy vs. Rahway, 10
Edison vs. Barnegat, 1
Mount Olive vs. Ramapo, 1
Holy Spirit vs. Pope John, 4
St. Peter's Prep vs. Christian Brothers, 4
North Brunswick vs. Hillsborough, 7
Middlesex vs. West Morris, 7
Richard Greco covers baseball for NJ.com and may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-5484380495245046953/autism-awareness-challenge-proves-baseball-is-more-than-just-a-game/
That was the message that Autism Awareness Challenge founder Mike Garlatti conveyed to the Edison High School cafeteria packed with baseball players Sunday night.
Forty baseball teams from as far south as Millville and as north as Montvale and Ramapo met at the Middlesex County school the night before opening day to learn about autism.
In two weeks, all 40 teams - coming from 13 different counties - will compete in the 12th annual Autism Awareness Challenge at North Brunswick Community Park - a three day event spanning from April 12 to April 14.
While the showcase features loaded matchups - including No. 1 Delbarton vs. No. 8 Red Bank Catholic and No. 11 St. Peter’s Prep vs. No. 18 Christian Brothers - it also brings together two different communities to share the joy of baseball.
“We’re getting baseball fans to come out and learn about autism awareness and we’re getting the autism community out to see some good baseball,” Garlatti said.
The showcase has blossomed from its first year, which had eight teams playing on just one day. Now it features 20 games.
Millburn has been part of the showcase for years and coach Brian Chapman has watched it explode into the must-see baseball event that it is now.
“When I think about the growth of the event I think about two things,” Chapman said. “First, I think of the level of respect that we all have for Mike Garlatti as a baseball person, but also as a man and a father. Second, I think about how amazing it is to be part of a fraternity of coaches that take this event so seriously and pour their hearts into it.”
The sought after showcase already has a waitlist of nine teams and was one that Millville coach Roy Hallenbeck was dying to get in on after hearing Garlatti’s passion for the event - even if that meant an hour and a half bus ride on a Friday afternoon.
“It was Mike that got us so interested in this showcase,” Hallenbeck said. “When he approached me with it, he was so passionate about the cause. That made me buy in right away. Like every team around the country, we’re trying to expose our kids to something greater than just a locker room or field. We want them to see the bigger picture. We thought this was an outstanding opportunity to do just that.”
Millville and every other team in the showcase will get their look at the bigger picture first hand. In addition to fundraising for the event, each squad is given an honorary autistic player to join their team for the day and throw out the first pitch.
“This is an unbelievable event,” Delbarton coach Bruce Shatel said. “Mike is a dear friend of mine. What he does to raise awareness for autism is unbelievable. I have so much respect for him and his family for what they do over the course of that weekend and leading up to that weekend.”
AUTISM AWARENESS CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
Friday, April 12
Scotch Plains-Fanwood vs. Millville, 4
Voorhees vs. Spotswood, 4
Metuchen vs. Iselin Kennedy, 7
East Brunswick Tech vs. Henry Hudson, 7
Saturday, April 13
Highland Park vs. South River, 10
J.P. Stevens vs. Elizabeth, 10
Somerville vs. Jackson Memorial, 1
Steinert vs. Colonia, 1
Red Bank Catholic vs. Delbarton, 4
St. Joseph (Met.) vs. St. Joseph (Mont.), 4
South Plainfield vs. Millburn, 7
Sayreville vs. Old Bridge, 7
Sunday, April 14
Bishop Ahr vs. Bernards, 10
South Amboy vs. Rahway, 10
Edison vs. Barnegat, 1
Mount Olive vs. Ramapo, 1
Holy Spirit vs. Pope John, 4
St. Peter's Prep vs. Christian Brothers, 4
North Brunswick vs. Hillsborough, 7
Middlesex vs. West Morris, 7
Richard Greco covers baseball for NJ.com and may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-5484380495245046953/autism-awareness-challenge-proves-baseball-is-more-than-just-a-game/
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