Good Sports: Special partnership between Visalia Rawhide and The Adapted Athlete

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's a special needs night at Visalia's Valley Strong Ballpark.

"You can truly be yourself and not just our kids, but the parents as well," says Our House Founder Carina Carrillo.

For the third straight year, the Visalia Rawhide is partnering with the Adapted Athlete, a nonprofit that works with a wide range of individuals impacted by mental, physical and cognitive challenges.

"Really awesome to see how excited they get to know that they are able to come to a baseball game and have fun with everyone else," says Visalia Rawhide Ticket Operations Manager, Dalila Palacios.

Adapted Athlete's Executive Director, Nikki Scholl, says she "accidentally" started the program after a friend asked her to train her daughter with special needs.

"Individuals with disabilities were kind of just tucked away into the community, and this generation of parents want their kids to be seen and heard," Scholl said.

For the past three years, the program has expanded to private training clinics and sports leagues for hundreds of individuals.

But Scholl wanted to do more. That's when the idea of a baseball night came to life.

"We came to the Rawhide with a dream and $5," she said.

With community support and donations, Adapted Athlete was able to buy the night out for family and friends.

The Rawhide adapted.

"Have picture meals so our individuals who are non-speaking can order with dignity," Scholl said. "To adjust the sound throughout the night and be able to just create a safe space for our families.

The Adapted athletes have also been able to throw out the first pitch and even sing the national anthem, giving the athletes a night to remember at the ballpark.

"She's made dreams happen for us parents that I never thought were even possible," Carrillo said.

For sports updates, follow Alec Nolan on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.