Kansas baseball making an impact with annual Autism Awareness Game
On Dan Fitzgerald’s first day as the head coach of Kansas baseball, he implemented an idea he had as an assistant coach. Fitzgerald, whose son Max is part of 1-in-31 kids affected by autism in the United States, started the Jayhawks’ annual Autism Awareness Game.
Thursday’s series opener against Utah marks Kansas’ Autism Awareness Game this season. The game will also take place on World Autism Awareness Day. Fitzgerald said it is important to he and the Jayhawks’ platform for good.
“Literally to draw awareness to something that’s affecting lots and lots of families, and we’ve done just that,” Fitzgerald said on Wednesday. “It’s a very small piece of it, but we get such an incredible platform as coaches and student athletes, and to be able to use it for good, I think is really important.”
The Autism Awareness Game aims to bring fans who may otherwise not enjoy the environment of a Kansas baseball game. Hoglund Ballpark will offer a sensory-inclusive environment on Thursday, shutting off stadium volume before first pitch and gradually increasing it throughout the game.
“There are a lot of families and people in this community that will be here that otherwise wouldn’t necessarily,” Fitzgerald said. “To create an environment that is encouraging for those families to come out, where we’re trying to make it as sensory neutral as possible, is really special.”
Kansas will also wear special uniforms and hats to help raise awareness for autism. They feature puzzle pieces built into the lettering and logo. The puzzle piece originated as an autism symbol in 1963. It is “meant to be representative of the spectrum of perspectives and experiences autistic people may have.”
“I can’t wear this hat out in the community without 10 people coming up to me and talking about a relative, a family member, a friend, whatever, who’s been impacted by autism,” Fitzgerald said. “So it’s been really cool.”
Kansas has created a familial environment, giving players impactful life experience
As the head coach, Fitzgerald has created a familial environment at Kansas. His other two sons, Will and Ben, serve as the Jayhawks’ bat boys. Max plays his role as well, having the chance to sit in on a team meeting during the off-season.
“I’ve got a great picture of a staff meeting that we had before the season where Max came to the office with me one morning,” Fitzgerald said. “And we’re all sitting there, and Max is sitting on the couch, and he’s leaned up against [hitting coach Tyler] Hancock, and Hancock’s got his notes out and he’s presenting, and Max is just leaned up against him.”
Fitzgerald said the rest of the Kansas coaching staff also often brings their family around the team.
“Stuff like that happens all the time with our families just intertwining,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s an intermingling of that that our players get to experience.”
With that, the Jayhawks have had a lot of opportunities to have interactions with kids like Max. Fitzgerald said he’s impressed with the character of his team.
“I am so impressed with the generation that I get to coach. They’re kind, they’re empathetic, they’re accepting, they’re aware,” Fitzgerald said. “To watch them interact with kids like Max, and other people in different environments and different settings is really cool.”
Fitzgerald said he hopes his players experience “something that will impact them forever.” Through experiences like the Autism Awareness Game, he hopes to impact them beyond playing baseball at Kansas.
“On a personal level, I think knowing that 30-whatever guys on our team are seeing a non-typical developing kid and experiencing that, I think it might not change their life now, but they’ll be more aware of things moving forward,” Fitzgerald said.
