League aims to give those with autism, other disabilities an authentic baseball experience

About a year ago, Scott Keefe saw a story on television that touched his heart. Now, he hopes to be part of the story, on Maui.

Keefe has volunteered to manage a team in the Alternative Baseball Organization, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to delivering an authentic baseball experience for players 15 years old and older who have autism or other disabilities.

Taylor Duncan, a 25-year-old with autism from Dallas, Ga., is the commissioner/director of the ABO. He caught the eye of Keefe just prior to the shutdowns created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"(Duncan) was trying to see if there were any followers in Hawaii," Keefe said. "The news station was surprised that he had reached out to all these outlets, so they gave him the time of day. I responded back that I would be happy to volunteer. I have a nephew who is autistic and is very involved in Special Olympics in all different aspects."

Duncan says the main goal of the organization is to help the players "gain social and physical skills for success in life on and off the diamond."

Duncan said the idea of the organization bloomed from his experience as a child.

"When I was much younger, I had speech issues, anxiety issues, and more that came with having autism. ... I wasn't able to participate in competitive sports due to the developmental delays, in addition to social stigma (preconceived ideas) from those who think what one with autism can and cannot accomplish," Duncan wrote in an email sent to The Maui News. "With the help of my mom, teachers, mentors, and coaches who believed in me, I've gotten to where I am today in my life: To live with the goal to inspire, raise awareness, and acceptance for autism and special needs globally through the sport of baseball."

Keefe stressed to Duncan that things are different in an island state than they are on the Mainland.

"Travel between islands is costly," Keefe said. "Maui is smaller than Oahu, which would have a lot more teams. I told him, 'I could see having teams on different islands and perhaps going in-between islands. If at some future date, maybe we could go to the Mainland, but it is very cost-prohibitive out here.

"It was all in the beginning stages of that and then the pandemic shut everything down."

Duncan noted that much of the help for athletes with autism dissolves when they graduate from high school.

"In a lot of suburban and rural areas, there are no services for those to continue their path toward independence," he wrote. "Many travel to find the limited services which may or may not be available to their specific needs. Realizing a lack of general incentive and opportunities for those on the spectrum, I started this organization to give others on the spectrum/special needs the opportunity to be accepted for who they are and to be encouraged to be the best they can be."

The program follows Major League Baseball rules (wood bats, base stealing, dropped third strike, etc.), and is a true, typical team experience for those on the autism spectrum or with special needs to help develop social skills.

Alternative Baseball is planning its 2021 return with clubs throughout 33 states. In 2019, the organization was commemorated as a Community Hero at an Atlanta Braves game and has been featured on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" and NBC's "Today Show."

Keefe, 59, has lived in Lahaina for eight years and works in the tourism industry.

"It's still very early in the stages and trying to recruit people is even harder these days, so we're still looking at the future," Keefe said. "It's a great idea ... baseball is big out here."

Keefe is looking for volunteer coaches and players for the program. He can be reached with any questions or inquiries via email at skeefe1021@aol.com.

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.