SPORTSMANSHIP—Calabasas High junior varsity baseball players and Westhills PONY Baseball’s Champions superstars take a break from practice on May 9.JONATHAN ANDRADE/Acorn NewspapersAt first glance, it was just another practice at the Westhills PONY Baseball fields.

Student-athletes worked on their swings at the dish, scooped up ground balls in the infield, shagged high bloopers in the outfield and worked on efficiently rounding the corners on the base path.

Calabasas High junior varsity baseball players were all over the field, but the Coyotes weren’t the ones honing their skills in preparation for their next big game.

The Westhills Champions, a team made up of players with special needs, were training.

“Every time we come out here we’re putting smiles on the kids’ faces,” said Kole Kodimer, a 15-year-old Calabasas freshman who founded the program for his bar mitzvah project when he was 11. “It doesn’t just change the Champions, it also helps the volunteers.

HITCHIN’ A RIDE— Calabasas freshman Kole Kodimer gives a piggyback ride to Westhills Champions player Ashton. Kodimer helped start the Champions league when he was 11 for his bar mitzvah project.Courtesy of Lisa Kodimer“We get such a good feeling helping these kids.”

The Champion players have been diagnosed with a variety of disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and cancer.

The junior varsity players coordinate the weekly Monday practices during Westhills’ spring season. Varsity players volunteer in the fall. Coyotes also help out on Sundays to help their partners— or “buddies”— get things done on game day.

The Champions, a program that started with 18 kids, two teams and 40 volunteers, has ballooned to 57 players, six teams and 175 volunteers.

Email Jonathan Andrade at jandrade@theacorn.com.Calabasas High’s baseball program has been a vital part of the continued growth of the program.

Andrew Snyder, a sophomore first baseman and pitcher who’s helped the junior varsity team take first place in the Marmonte League with a 12-2 record, said he’s enjoyed his first season helping the Champions. He’s especially taken joy in helping his buddy, John, improve his catching abilities.

“I knew it would be fun, but I didn’t expect it to have such an impact on me,” Snyder said. “It’s so rewarding to meet all these kids and work with them. We get to learn their stories and learn the challenges they face each and every day. I get so much out of it. It’s a great experience.”

Fellow Coyote Jack Jarrard, a junior third baseman and outfielder, is in his second season helping the Champions.

Jarrard said he’s impressed with the players’ dedication to the sport.

“They all just want to play baseball,” Jarrard said of the Champions, some of whom use walkers or are in wheelchairs. “They all want to go out there and have fun. They’re all sweethearts.”

Jarrard usually joins forces with Rachel, a Calabasas senior who’s been in the special needs program for four seasons. Rachel, who usually patrols first base, had the same response many girls would have when asked about her favorite part of being a Champion.

“I like playing baseball with the baseball boys,” she said, adding that she sees the Coyotes on campus often.

The Champions play two-inning games once a week. Every player gets a chance to hit and run the bases for a home run. Score isn’t kept, but the crowd is always raucous.

“It’s more like a cheerleading event,” said Lisa Kodimer, Kole Kodimer’s mother. “There’s hundreds of people screaming.”

Kole Kodimer initially got the idea for the program from his mother, a Cal State Northridge alumna who coached a special needs program as a college student.

Kodimer said the program helps develop baseball skills while building life skills.

Calabasas sophomore Ben Vadehra, who pitches for the junior varsity team, said he’s noticed the impact the game can have on challenged athletes within the first few weeks of practice. Vadehra said his buddy, Braden, 7, used to avoid baseball drills the way he avoided conversations.

“He just wanted to sit out there and do nothing,” Vadehra said of Braden. “Now he wants to run around and he’s a lot more vocal and verbal. It’s a cool change. I knew I would help some people out, but I didn’t really know I’d enjoy it as much as I have.”

Jake Bregman, a junior center fielder, joined the group of volunteers midway through the season. He said he’s enjoyed the experience so much he’s looking to take on a bigger role next season by raising money for events for the Champions.

Calabasas players all agreed on one thing—helping the West Hills Champions is a life-changing experience.

“I feel so lucky being able to share baseball with these kids,” Bregman said.