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New sports and recreation options at Pearland, including rugby, cricket and inclusive games for children of all skill levels, come closer to realization as town prepares to complete phase two of sports complex at Shadow Creek Ranch.
Pearland Parks and Recreation Director Carry Capers said she and her team are preparing for the spring opening of the new athletic fields, located at 13050 Shadow Creek Parkway.
“We are planning to have a big opening celebration for the construction of Phase II in early spring 2022,” she said. “This includes the addition of two multipurpose turf pitches which will be used primarily for cricket and rugby, a Miracle League pitch, a concession building, locker rooms and a training hall.”
The Miracle Field will be able to host wheelchair baseball games. Park patrons will be able to use wheelchair chargers, concession stands and on-site toilets.
“The two-day (grand opening) event will feature cricket and rugby demonstrations and games, a Miracle League tournament and hopefully the inclusive playground groundbreaking ceremony,” Capers said. .
The $ 8.8 million park project began late last year. Work to expand the resort’s offerings, especially the addition of Miracle Field, inspired the nonprofit Forever Parks Foundation to plan to build an inclusive playground on the site as well.
The playground project, which is funded by public, private and corporate grants and donations, is approaching its goal of raising $ 960,000 for a 9,200 square foot park that would accommodate play for all children, including including those with physical, mental and sensory problems.
A recent donation of $ 50,000 from the Pearland Volunteer Fire Department put the group at 96 percent of its goal. Other large donations include $ 750,000 from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and $ 25,000 from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
The local community has also mobilized. At a fundraising event in May, the foundation secured verbal pledges worth approximately $ 55,000 in corporate donations and $ 1,700 in personal donations. The group continued to organize events throughout the year.
The playground will include equipment to promote sensory play, such as sound tubes, cymbals or children’s drums with which children can experiment. Planners also said they pay attention to the needs of young people with autism, blindness, and deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, they focus on the needs of people with cognitive delays and sensory processing disorders, among other challenges.
The foundation, headed by Kelly Moody, also plans to provide wheelchair-accessible play structures that can accommodate children of all skill levels so they can have fun together. She said it was an important part of the playground design.
“We will still have traditional elements like rock climbing, but the (disabled) children will be there inside the climbing structure with their friends,” she said. “We want all children, even those in wheelchairs, to be able to explore the playground on their own. We want them to be independent.
Moody said the location of the playing field next to Miracle Field was a natural fit.
“(The Miracle Field) will have wheelchair chargers so people can be there all afternoon, and we will be able to use the (wheelchair-friendly) surfaces of the field (and playground) as a cohesive space, ”she said.
For more information on the Inclusive Playground, including how to donate to the project, visit www.forever-parks-foundation.constantcontactsites.com.
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