Six members of the special needs Hollister Babe Ruth Bambinos had a chance to demonstrate their sports versatility during an afternoon of hitting golf balls on July 7 at the Ridgemark Golf Club & Resort. After sharpening their putting green skills, they moved to the driving range, capping the day with a hot dog lunch where prizes were distributed.
“Anytime anybody comes to me with an idea on how to get more people involved with the game, I’m all for it,” said Ridgemark PGA Professional Lee Hoellwarth. “Special needs is a very important thing for me and we love having them here for golf. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
Hoellwarth coordinated the trip with Bernie Ramirez, vice commander of Hollister Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9424. This was the fourth golf outing for the Bambinos and the first at Ridgemark, with the previous trips made to the San Juan Oaks course.
“We at the VFW love to work with special needs people,” Ramirez said. “We have played baseball with them, but we decided to go a little further, like taking them to McAlpine Lake in San Juan to fish for a day. And now we have this golf outing thanks to Ridgemark.”
The Bambino League was founded in 2015 as the adult version of Challengers Little League. Players with special needs become eligible at 15 years old and there is no upper age restriction. Currently, there are four teams with 30 players who play spring and fall seasons.
Some of our veterans have family members that have special needs kids,” Ramirez said. “We think it is very important that we keep these kids active and let them know people care about them. And it fills my heart with pleasure to do this. I think I get more out of it than they do.”
Garrett Gutierrez has been playing with the Bambinos for two years and said that this season, he hit the ball very well and the team had a lot of fun competing on the diamond. This is also his second golf trip with the Bambinos.
“I like swinging at the ball,” he said. “Sometimes it can be easy and sometimes hard because you have to hit the ball against the wind and towards the wind. But I like hitting it to see how far it can go.”
Garrett’s father, Daniel Gutierrez, said that the Bambinos program helps to give his son a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of inclusivity.
“There are not a lot of programs that allow them to participate,” he said. “But our kids are important and they all deserve a shot at having fun and being part of the community. They should not be invisible and when they are out doing things like this, it lifts their spirits and makes them feel proud and special.”
Garrett is also a member of the Hollister High chapter of Circle of Friends, a national inclusivity program that combats the social isolation that comes from disability or other challenges.
“The people in the program always make him feel special and warm,” Ramirez said. “When we go places with Garrett, he always has more friends out there than we do.”
With more family members and friends present to support them than there were Bambino members and with the kind cooperation of the rest of the golfers at the practice green, the team had their moment to shine at a different sport.
Bambino team member Tammy said she enjoys playing baseball, particularly stealing bases, but golf is fun as well because sometimes she gets to drive the golf cart (which any honest golfer can tell you is the best part of the game).
“I am doing pretty good today, hitting the ball to the flag,” she said. “I love being active and I am having fun. I am hoping we can get out to do more things like this.”
Adam Mendolla, who heads up the Bambino organization, said he has a wish list of things he is hoping to get them involved with but that there are few resources in the community beyond the Social Vocational and Hope Services programs.
“I would love to see soccer, basketball, football—all the activities we have in Hollister,” he said. “It is important to integrate them into the town and a matter of just being accountable for one another. As they get older, it is harder for them to get out, but then need to be able to be recognized.”
Hoellwarth said he is open to more frequent visits to Ridgemark from the Bambinos in the future.
“I think they’re hoping for more than once a year,” he said. “We might make it a weekly thing—you know, the more, the merrier I always say. The golf course is a great place for mental health and a great place for people to enjoy something.”
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