October 30 Overview of the Miracle Park Construction

Overall view of the park on October 30, 2025

Photos credit: Robbie Conley. 

Miracle League Field #2 - area sponsored by Founders Federal Credit Union.

The patio area closest to this field is sponsored by Linda and John Godbold.  The area on the other side is sponsored by York County Natural Gas Authority. 

The Multi-purpose field, made of the same material as the Miracle League baseball fields is 60 x 40 yards and have two entrances allowing for multiple games at once!  We have two sponsors of this area.  The left side is Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company/The Mauldin Family, and the right side is sponsored by The Carolina Panthers and Nicole and David Tepper Foundation.

The Pond area, which will have programed therapeudic fishing (not public) is sponsored by The Springs Close Foundation, Close and Hart family members, and Springsteen Foundation/Springs Creative. The trails around the pond and park are sponsored by The Craze Family.  This pond will also have a dock sponsored by The Hirim and Linda Hutchinson Family.

The Retail Space (Phase 3) area is sponsored by Warren Norman Company and the building is operated, maintained, and funded by MaxAbilities of York County

Phase 1
The one-of-a-kind playground has thousands of visitors each month - it is loved and well used!  Phase 1 is Universal Design Certified Gold Level.  This area of the park is sponsored by Comporium.  The area leading towards the playground on the right side is sponsored by The Lazenby Family/Blue Goose Studios.

The Traditiional baseball field and Miracle League #1 sit just behind the Fire Station on Cherry Rd.  This year we had 186 athletes from ages 5-78 years old!  The Miracle League Field #1 and scoreboard are sponsored by Williams & Fudge.

 

Rock Hill Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department operates and maintains the park, The City of Rock Hill is a major donor to the overall park, along with the State of South Carolina.

Other areas are still avalible to be sponsored with a Major Donation, email RockHillMiraclePark@gmail.com to learn more.

Phase 2 and 3 updates

Phase 2 is under construction 

Click here to learn more about 

Miracle Park's next phases and view renderings.

The next park phase of the park will include:

• A large 60x40 yards multi-purpose field suitable for flag football, bocce, tennis, soccer, lacrosse, kickball, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and other programming

• A second Miracle League baseball field

• A 2,600-square-foot Education Building, providing indoor space f
  
  or programming, theme nights, training, workshops, meetings, dances, parties, arts and crafts, adaptive equipment storage, and more

• Additional parking

• A programed therapeutic fishing pond with Walking Trails

Watch below to learn WHY this park is so important!

Phase 3

In addition, an 8200-square-foot retail Space is being built at the corner of Richmond Drive and Cherry Road. This space is being funded and operated by MaxAbilities to train, employ, and serve people of all abilities.  This will include meaningful workforce development opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through this retail space, Miracle Park aims to provide education, coaching, resume-building, and pathways to permanent employment.

Our partnership with MaxAbilities of York County, whose mission is to maximize abilities by Teaching, Empowering, Advocating, and Mentoring, brings invaluable expertise in inclusive workforce development. MaxAbilities is committed to supporting future tenants with job coaching and employee placement services to ensure all individuals have the opportunity to thrive in the workplace.

Ground Breaking on final phases

Construction has begun on phases 2 and 3 of the Miracle Park!!!  It is on track to open early 2026.

Today we celebratied with athletes, friends, donors, elected officials, Winthrop and MaxAbilities staff, and the Lt. Governor of SC!  We heard from Representative Heath Sessions about what the park means to him and his family as a dad of two boys that have different abilities, Warren Norman, developer and what's to come, President Edward Serna on the connections with Winthrop, Mayor John Gettys spoke about how the park benefits the people of Rock Hill and beyond, and US Representative Ralph Norman invited us to come together to break the ground to start to build the final phases!

Lucas McFadden with CN2 was there to capture the day.  

Miracle Park Ground Breaking 2025 - Final Phases

PRT - David Boone Advisory Award

 Our Executive Team was recently honored by The City of Rock Hill's Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department at their annual Volunteer Dinner. This is what they had to say about our team:

This committee and its partners has imagined, fundraised, developed and built Miracle Park phase one which opened in September of 2021. In 2022, they have continued to fundraise and plan for phase two. They have put their hearts, soul and hard work into making Miracle Park not only a dream but a reality that has become a destination for families, seniors and youth of all abilities.

In 2016, one of these members traveled to Greenville to watch his nephew play in a Miracle League game. That was the inspiration he needed to come back and discuss with family and friends his idea of building a miracle field in Rock Hill. Having grown up playing sports and now with his children being involved in sports he knew Rock Hill needed a field for athletes of all abilities to play. It didn’t take long for them to begin the implementation of this idea. Connections were made and others jumped at the chance to be involved in something so great. A committee was formed…a builder, a developer, a fundraiser, community leaders…a meeting was held with York County disabilities foundation members, sports commission members, city staff members, more community leaders and from there, the possibilities continued. The idea was brought forth to put the field on property that already held a city park. Additionally, Winthrop University was approached about the adjacent property. Through many discussions and meetings and nearly a year later, a public/ private partnership was formed.

Years later and millions of dollars raised, this field became not just a field but an entire park. Through so many efforts, the first phase included an all-inclusive playground with innovative play equipment, restrooms, an office and concessions building, a multi-purpose field and of course the Miracle Field. This group made sure to go beyond the norm and complete the requirements needed to be awarded universal design standards. The second and third phases are being planned and will be just as exciting as the first.

The park has thousand of visitors a month. From Miracle League, Benji Ball, youth softball games, playground time, story time, the Book Mobile, kite flying, kickball, many more events and programs the park is busting at the seams. If you have been there, you know. What a wonderful sight!!

This committee has worked tirelessly to host events and fundraisers to benefit the park. They have been instrumental in getting the community involved throughout the whole process. Their dedication and time has been one that has built a place where everyone belongs and no matter your ability…you have a place to play.

I’d like to present the David Boone Advisory Award to the Miracle Park Executive Committee. This committee includes David Williams, Alice Davis, Warren Norman, Kennedi Christopher, Kylie Carroll, John Taylor, Michelle Schaffer, Sig Huitt and Jack Leitner.

We are very thankful to the PRT team for all they do for Miracle Park and are honored to accept this award!

Terry Hagen - Recreation Programmer, City of Rock Hill

As you start to visit the Miracle Park and have questions you will most likely meet Terry.  She is coordinating the Miracle League and other sports out at the park for the City of Rock Hill's Parks, Recreation, and Tourism department.  Read her story below to learn more about this wonderful woman and how it's always been her dream to allow all people the opportunity to play together even since she was a little girl! 

Terry Hagen - Recreation Programmer

When I was little, my family moved to SC from New York.   My parents sent me to a church day camp one summer and there was a staff member who brought her daughter Denise to work with her.  Denise was much older than the campers but played with us and was very childlike. One day it was raining and for some reason we had our shoes off, and Denise needed help buckling her sandals.  When I realized that she didn’t know how to buckle her shoes, I spent the whole afternoon teaching her to buckle her own sandals.  She was SO happy when she finally did it on her own.  

When I got home, I asked my parents about her, they explained what Down Syndrome was and, in that conversation, I learned that when I was a young child, my father was a Special Education teacher at the inner-city schools.   I remember him being a teacher but didn’t know too much about his class because I was so young.   When we moved to South Carolina, he gave up teaching, so it never came up until I met Denise.  

After that summer, I began elementary school and our class had to walk past the Special Education class to get to the playground.  This was the very first day of school I asked the teacher why they couldn’t play too.   The response was something along the lines of “that’s the Special Ed class.”   It made me sad to see those children watch us go by and not be able to play too.   Then the next year, some of the classrooms moved and the Special Ed class was now in a room that had a window that looked out to the playground.  I hated seeing them watch us and not be able to join us.  I always remembered that and never understood why they couldn’t join us. 

At some point, the teachers must’ve been tired of my questions and they allowed me to “volunteer” in that class during recess one day a week.  That led to volunteering with Special Olympics as a teenager and I never stopped.

Flash forward several years and I had to get a “summer job” so I began working in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities.  I was 19 years old, and I worked 2-10pm Monday through Friday.   I took those women EVERYWHERE!    I absolutely fell in love and working with people with disabilities became my life.   Flash forward 34 years and I am still working with some of the same people I worked with at 19.  

I’ve worked in group homes, day programs, case management and recreation.  In each job, my motto has always been “Why can’t they do it too?”   Now, I get to make some of those why’s a reality.

$700,000 from the Panthers!

Today, as we were expecting to celebrate a $200,000 grant from the Carolina Panthers Charities we were surprised with an additional $500,000 from the Nicole and David Tepper Foundation!  Not only will these funds help us to build a multi-purpose field, but it will also include the Teppers and Panthers being a partner with us and helping us to find great success in the Miracle Park programming!  The Grand Opening date, August 21, was also set from 5-9pm.  

Go Panthers!!!  Welcome to Rock Hill!

 We are happy to add these two groups to our major donors list!  Thank you to all our donors!  We have now raised about $5.5 million of the $6.5 million needed for Phase 1 and a portion of Phase 2 (multi-purpose field)!

Importance of Outside Play for Children with Autism

Importance of Outside Play for Children with Autism

By: Terry Hagen, Recreation Leader
Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Want to volunteer?  Coach?  Be a buddy?  Play in the Miracle League?  Fill out this survey.

Unstructured play is critical in the development of ALL children, but children on the Autism spectrum play very differently than other children. Many of them struggle with stimulation in play spaces that cause them to respond in ways that can be disruptive. The way they react might include flapping, pacing, screaming, throwing what looks like a temper tantrum or harming themselves. They also tend to play off to themselves, they don’t like loud noises, they line their toys up, they repeat the same action over and over and they struggle with imaginative play.

Because of this, many families with children on the spectrum might not feel comfortable taking their children places because they also don’t want to disrupt other families from their activities.

Miracle Park will be a place for ALL children to play together as one unit. Since it is geared towards inclusive play, many of the families who will take their children there are dealing with some of the same behaviors and obstacles as other parents who will also be there, so since they are all accustomed to these issues, no one will feel disrupted. The feeling of inclusion that is so important for children is also VERY important to caregivers because it’s comforting to be around others in similar situations.

Because children on the spectrum struggle with over stimulation, the more exposure they have to play spaces, the more accustomed they will become to the sights, sounds and structure of Miracle Park. Building exposure can help lessen the struggles and they can learn to respond to different noises, sounds, and environments. So, the more parents expose their child to Miracle Park, the more the child will be able to adapt to various stimulators.

Miracle Park has been designed with all these important things in mind. The colors are from a playful color palette but are not over stimulating. The park will have interactive play equipment that focuses on play but also includes activity that utilizes all 5 senses, movement, and balance. IF the child happens to become overstimulated, there is a place where the child can go to calm down.

Miracle Park will also have signage that includes letters, words, and pictures to promote communication skills. Many children on the Autism Spectrum and their families already use the PECS system to communicate. PECS stands for Picture Exchange Communication System. Having letters, words and pictures at the park will allow the family to continue communicating with their child they way they typically do at home.

Miracle Park will be completely fenced in and all playground equipment is built in an area that provides a complete line of vision from all areas so parents can see their child anywhere on the playground and know they are safely fenced in.

All equipment is also spread out to allow room for play without a child being overwhelmed and without feeling overcrowded.

Playing outside in the natural light of the sun is much healthier than artificial lighting. Children spend most of their day in school with fluorescent lighting or on computers/tablets with lights that can overstimulate. The best medicine for that type of overstimulation is natural lighting.

Children on the spectrum pick up on the moods and anxieties of their parents and siblings. Many times, the family is too worried about how the child will “fit in” or behave in public settings, that they don’t enjoy their time together. Children on the spectrum can pick up on that anxiety and feed off the energy of the family. At Miracle Park, parents and siblings can all relax and enjoy playtime in a safe, secure, nonjudgmental, accessible setting.

The playground will be free of charge. Many families have limited income and parents struggle to find affordable activities for their child to safely play.
Providing a park where ALL children can play for free lifts one extra burden off the families.

For the children on the spectrum who don’t have back yards to play in or who spend the whole day confined to their desk at school, having a free open field that is securely enclosed to play and run around in is an ideal way to release pent up energy.

Many typical playgrounds allow for plenty of big muscle play. All children, especially children on the spectrum, also need manipulative play, pretend play, sensory play, quiet play, and creative play. Miracle Park has the ability and the equipment to provide all of this and more to everyone.

Miracle Park will also have Yalp interactive equipment such as the Sona Arch and Memo Pillars where they must use a variety of senses to play along. These activities also help with following instructions because they are given verbal cues to see what the next part of the “game” will be. 

Playground Features

Want to learn more about some pieces at our playground being installed this fall and how they can benefit all that use them? Click below to learn about individual pieces.

Merry-go-ALL

RoxALL SeeSaw

The Arch Swing

Sensory Spinner

Swings

The Yalp Sona

The Yalp Memo

Musical Elements

Outdoor Exercise Equipment

Zip Line your way!

Sensory Cove Climber

The Inclusive Whirl

The Sensory Dome

Want to see a full video overview of the playground and park? This is dated, but the playground hasn't changed much.

A big thanks and shout out to Comporium who is helping fund the playground to make this unique, one-of-a-kind playground happen in Phase One!

Once it's open the City of Rock Hill's PRT department will operate and maintain this facility as they do the other city parks! Thank you Rock Hill, we are blessed to live in a city that supports ALL people with ALL abilities!

A Park for ALL...yes you!

This REALLY a park for ALL (yes YOU)...We've explained how important it is to remove barriers for those with special needs and mobility issues, and we've often said it will be a park for ALL! We really mean that....Keep reading to hear how we've designed the park for everyone and what sports will be programmed at the park Spring 2021!!

    Miracle Park is an inclusive park, so we have made special efforts to look at all parts of the park with a focus on accessibility for those with different abilities. We have featured future athletes who need these accommodations because too often these folks are excluded in our society (both intentionally and unintentionally), or are an afterthought when places are built since most buildings and parks are constructed to MINIMUM accessibility requirements, which are still inaccessible to some. Because of this, we have showcased the aspects of our park that set us apart from other parks due to our Universal Design. 

Universal Design | Progressive AE

HOWEVER, we want to be sure to reiterate that this is not a "special needs park;" that defeats the purpose of it being inclusive!  

We want EVERYONE to come visit and play at Miracle Park. Our state of the art playground does have special pieces that have been designed so that people with many different needs can play. However, we also have traditional swings, slides, and zip lines for typically developing 

folks. The walking trails and air resistance strength training equipment will be great for adults and seniors looking to stay in shape while listening to the laughter of children.  

We want to create a space where everyone can play TOGETHER!  

The fields will host activities for ALL. We will have one traditional field on which Rock Hill Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department will continue to schedule Little League and softball games.  We will have multi-purpose fields for flag football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and more. Until those fields are finished, we can use the Miracle field for these sports when it's not softball/baseball season. ALL Miracle League games will have buddies, which are typically developing peers who partner with a friend with different abilities.

Speaking of buddies, Jayden Carroll and Brodie Kennedy from Northwestern High School have told their stories about being a buddy already, they are looking forward to the opening of Miracle Park so that they will finally have a place outside of school to hang out with ALL of their friends! 

We will also have a shelter at the playground and areas near the concession stand where you can host birthday parties for ALL of your friends without wondering if someone can get there due to mobility needs. Miracle Park will truly be a park for ALL!  

Please consider how the park will benefit your friends and family, and if you can, DONATE to help ensure all of Phase 1 is constructed by the end of this year!