It’s Not Just About Building Homes, It’s About Building Character.
Artisan Homes President Scott Dennis shares his experience at Field of Dreams
It was an exciting day of baseball complete with some of the fiercest competitors who played with more passion than some Major League Baseball players. The crowd was loud as they cheered on each competitor. As these special athletes crossed home plate it was a victory of epic proportion. What happened on a beautiful spring day in Northeast Florida wasn’t your average day at the baseball diamond. It was the 10th Anniversary for the Field of Dreams baseball league.
Artisan Homes President, Scott Dennis, and boys from Creeks Baseball Club, a youth baseball organization in St. Johns Country where he has spent several years coaching, volunteered to mentor, coach and cheer on more than 200 children with special needs from around Northeast Florida. “This provides our boys a unique opportunity to spend time teaching and encouraging these special needs kids. Baseball is a part of their lives almost every day but for the kids they were coaching, this was more than just being out on the field playing baseball. This was about having an opportunity to do something many of them can’t regularly participate in,” said Dennis, “and I’m certain our CBC baseball players walked away with a greater appreciation of this opportunity than they expected.”
Field of Dreams organizers assign each baseball player with a “buddy” who throughout the day become friends and learn from each other about life and sports. “One of the organizers told us the special needs athletes would likely remember this day for the rest of their lives,” said Bradley Dennis, Scott Dennis’ 12 year old son, “That really made an impact on me and my teammates and so we wanted to make sure the day was as special as it could be for them.”
Every baseball player during Field of Dreams experiences their name being called over the loud PA system as they walk up to the plate. “Watching these children play the game in this type of atmosphere is pretty incredible,” shared Dennis, “And I’m thankful my son and his teammates had an opportunity to be a part of it. They coached and cheered on children in wheelchairs, kids who have autism and even some who are visually-impaired. And they walked off the field better young men having volunteered.”