Student Spotlight: Luke Ferris
Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided
For many years, Luke Ferris waited for his turn at bat.
His chance finally came when he joined the Miracle League of Westfield, an organization that helps children and adults with disabilities.
Luke’s mother, Kathleen Ferris, says Luke, who is autistic, loves the program.
“The mission of the Miracle League is to provide opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to play baseball,” she says. “It is a nonprofit organization held right here in Westfield. This adaptive program is currently held at Roundtripper Academy, and with continued donations and support from the community, the Miracle League’s goal is to construct its own facility and continue to grow and reach more differently abled athletes.”
She notes that family friends Nick and Adrienne Vollmer, Miracle League volunteer committee members, made Luke’s dream come true when they asked him to pilot the first season last spring.
“Luke is still learning the different positions and nuances of the game, but he has the art of the grand slam down,” Ferris says.
Ferris, a seventh-grade math teacher at Westfield Middle School, says Luke was ready to play for a while.
“Luke has wanted his turn on the baseball diamond since going to his big brother Blake’s games at NYB and Grand Park the past few years,” she says. “He has always been a supportive and enthusiastic spectator, requesting to hear, again and again, his brother’s walk-up song, ‘We Will Rock You.’ He has been to a Reds game with dad and proudly displays his first game certificate in his bedroom. Baseball is life in the Ferris house.”
She adds that the Miracle League has been a perfect fit for Luke.
“He gave the neurotypical team route his best shot last season, but it was very difficult for him,” Ferris says. “Being on the spectrum means that things like waiting his turn, multistep coaching, muscle coordination and sensory stimuli can be very overwhelming and challenging for Luke. We didn’t want Luke to get discouraged and turn away from the sport. We wanted him to be a part of something he loves and is good at, to be part of a team, and to share this experience with his friends and family. We wanted to see him in an after-school activity that wasn’t another therapy session. Then came the Miracle League.”
Ferris says she signed Luke up for the Miracle League the moment they entered the Roundtripper facility.
“Luke was met with acceptance, love, support and a mutual love of the game,” she says. “He joined the Cubs team with Coach Nick Vollmer and his ‘Angels in the Outfield’ – volunteer peer helpers – Owen Watts and Ben Vollmer. If Luke wanted to take a break, no one asked why. If Luke wanted to run from one end of the facility to the other, Owen got his workout in and joined him. Luke looked forward to going every Sunday and had the time of his life. He got to fulfill a dream: being a baseball player. The smile was just a bonus.”
When Luke isn’t busy enjoying baseball, he attends preschool.
“Luke is in the developmental preschool program at the Virginia F. Wood Early Learning Center here in Westfield,” Ferris says. “Rachel Gaspard is his special education teacher and Jennifer Montgomery is the general education teacher. He also attends Little Star ABA center in Carmel.”
Luke has recently registered for the 2024 spring season at the Miracle League, and looks forward to joining his friends, coaches and fan club in the stands.
“He can also be spotted at Carter’s Play Place in Westfield on a regular basis,” Ferris says. “It’s part of his lifestyle.”
Ferris says she and her family love Westfield.
“Our family includes my husband, Adam Ferris, our sons, Luke and Blake, a first-grader at Maple Glen Elementary, and our
daughter, Annie, who attends the TOTs program at Virginia F. Wood Early Learning Center,” Kathleen says. “We are so grateful to live in a community that values all our children, and strives to provide engaging and exciting opportunities for both neurotypical and neurodiverse members. We can’t wait to see what Luke will do next.”
To find more about the Miracle League, call 317-750-2098 or go to miracleleagueofwestfield.com.
