The Miracle League (MLAZ) is a nonprofit organization giving individuals with special needs the opportunity to play baseball; recently hired Drew Soicher as staff Program Director and Philip Welp transitioned to President of the Board.
After 15 years of volunteering in both Denver and Scottsdale as a buddy, coach and public address announcer, Drew Soicher is thrilled to be joining the Miracle League of Arizona.
Heavily involved at every level of baseball from Little League to the Majors, Drew has spent a lifetime on the diamond, as a player, coach, broadcaster and photographer, and has never been able to find anything more rewarding and gratifying than the smile of a special needs athlete after hitting a ball or crossing home plate.
Drew spent more than three decades as an Emmy award-winning television sportscaster in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver. In addition to his work with the Miracle League, Drew has donated a considerable amount of his time to the Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Children’s Hospital.
As Program Director, Drew will be constantly searching for ways to make the Miracle League of Arizona experience even more fun than it already is. Please feel free to introduce yourself and share any ideas you may have. Contact Drew at [email protected] or 480-686-8137.
Philip Welp joined the board of directors in 2014. He was aware of MLAZ through Boys Team Charity group that his son was involved with and through National Charity League which his daughter was involved with. He and his family have spent time volunteering and getting to know the athletes. Philip’s wife Pam has been a special education teacher for most of her career. Since then, he has grown to become very close not only with the BOD members/staff but most importantly the athletes and their families. He thoroughly enjoys being at the field and MLAZ holds a special place in his heart.
Since joining the BOD he has become involved in starting and co-chairing the Wiffleball World Series Tournament and is currently head of the Fundraising/Sponsorship Committee and became VP in 2016. He is taking the new role as president, from Al Maag whom we all thank for his efforts the past two years.
On a professional level, Philip has been Vice President of Business Development WinCraft Inc., a manufacturer of sports and entertainment licensed products since 2006.
We serve over 300 athletes thus, MLAZ has also hired Jordan Cuda as an additional Program Assistant because of the expected increase of ball players. The first of three seasons starts September 29th, 2018. Sign ups are open now on the MLAZ website.
For a full list of all MLAZ staff and board of directors visit  https://mlaz.org/about/board-of-directors-staff.
About the Miracle League:
The Miracle League of Arizona is a nonprofit organization in North Scottsdale, dedicated to providing a safe, successful and enjoyable baseball experience for children, teens and adults with disabilities or special health care needs. The facility is the only full service stadium with a custom-designed, rubberized turf, to allow easy maneuverability for wheelchairs and other devices. It has a long list of other additions to fully accommodate all the needs of every player and family for a full day of fun at the ballpark. The Miracle League of Arizona’s upcoming Fall Season will start on Saturday September 29th. Follow The Miracle League of Arizona on Twitter or Facebook.
If you would like to donate to the Miracle League, please contact Cassandra Switalski at 480-686-8137. All proceeds go directly to help sustain The Miracle League of Arizona (MLAZ) – truly a miracle foundation.