Major leaguers join program for disabled students

The Philadelphia Phillies will work with the effort to get the students involved in sports and other activities after school.

By BETH N. GRAY
Published May 6, 2005

SPRING HILL - Decades ago, back when gifted athlete Michael A. Iannella was winning varsity letters in baseball and other sports in his hometown, Maplewood, N.J., he noticed how students with disabilities were virtually "put in a room in the dark" after school.

"They'd go home and veg," he said.

That offended his sense of fair play. Iannella conceived a dream.

When he came to the Hernando School District in 1983 as a physical education teacher and coordinator of adapted phys ed, to further his vision he established a program, Special Practices for Special People, at what is now Fox Chapel Middle School.

After school, students and adults with disabilities were encouraged and coached to pursue physical fitness, active recreation and leisure activities, the fine and performing arts, social awareness and socialization among their peers.

Community volunteers and mainstream students were recruited and trained to serve as buddies.

Iannella, who left Hernando to teach in New Jersey in 1994, returned to Fox Chapel recently to announce a new professional sports affiliation for the program, which has been introduced in more than 10 school districts in Florida, as well as school districts in New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Phillies are poised to provide players as buddies, mentors and coaches to enrollees in the program, now known as Perfect Harmony in Hernando County. The players call their outreach effort Phillies Harmony Fan Club.

When the Phillies return to Clearwater for spring training every year, current and former players will invite Harmony participants to watch workouts, said Gene Diaz, the team's director of community relations.

Harmony members can run or walk the bases with the Phillies players, who will answer questions about the game, sign autographs and hand out T-shirts and ball caps, Diaz said.

The Phillies have been volunteering with seven Harmony Fan Clubs in the Philadelphia area since 2002. The program has included appearances by team mascot the Phillie Phanatic and Ronald McDonald. McDonald's signed on as a cooperator in the outreach effort after Iannella made a pitch to the team four years ago. Similar events may be held locally, Diaz said.

There may also be parties held for Harmony members and their families with Phillies players.

The team has a standing commitment to gather annually with Special Olympics competitors fielded by the Paul B. Stevens Exceptional Student Center at Clearwater. That will continue, Diaz said.

The Hernando Perfect Harmony program is run by Charles Cipriani, 55, a physical education teacher at Suncoast Elementary from 6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at Fox Chapel. Some 17 to 21 participants, all now over the age of 18, regularly attend. Some are nearly Cipriani's age.

Hernando HEART Literacy finances the program with about $2,000 per year, which comes from grants provided by the Florida Department of Education to serve adults with disabilities. It's an effort to improve their quality of life by providing recreational activities and intellectual stimulation, said Denise Moen, adult literacy coordinator for the Hernando County School District.

Perfect Harmony boasts, "We're teaching disabled students how to play."

So Cipriani, the 10-year Hernando Harmony coach, concentrates on "practical activities," which, he said, are tailored for age-appropriateness and disability-appropriate. Frisbee golf, basketball skills, weight training, tetherball, calisthenics and basic self-defense are among the more popular offerings.

"I really enjoy it," Cipriani said of the September through May program. "There are a lot of hugs and handshakes and high-fives."

That compares to dealing with not-so-pleasant arguments and fisticuffs among "regular" fifth-graders, Cipriani noted.

Iannella's daughter, Danna Lorusso of Melbourne, joined her dad during his recent visit to Fox Chapel, where she was a Perfect Harmony buddy throughout her school years.

"We saw how the disabled were treated. Kids can be so mean," she said. "(The disabled) appreciate so much what you do with them. We really appreciated being involved."

While Perfect Harmony was designed as a community-based effort, volunteerism by Elks, Lions, Scouts, Knights of Columbus and other civic organizations has dropped off, said Don Brown, a retired Hernando County schools superintendent who helped found the program and has returned to the classroom.

Brown praised the results of Harmony, saying the program has given the participants a "sense of purpose."

"This is an option for (people with disabilities)," Brown said.

Moms, dads and other family members have benefited as well as the disabled, because they've been able to look and learn and take home techniques, Brown said.

Iannella and Brown lamented that local community participation has dropped off in recent years. Iannella's "spark plug" attitude drove the founding force, Brown said.

"Attrition happens," Brown said.

Cipriani says he can run the program without additional on-site help. But some participants have trouble getting there. He regularly picks up one person, but said he can't extend the service to everyone.

Volunteer drivers would be appreciated, especially with the high price of gas taxing families already stressed by special needs' expenses.

Additional information is available from Cipriani at 796-4349 or Moen at 796-7018.

Beth Gray may be contacted at graybethn@earthlink.net

[Last modified May 6, 2005, 00:38:16]