Hal Hundley from the Class of 2010 started Baseball Buddies in the summer of 2009 as a way to combine his two passions: baseball and community service. Since teaming up with the Notre Dame School, Hundley’s summer camp program at the Episcopal School of Dallas has grown exponentially.

Located just a few miles away from ESD, the Notre Dame School is dedicated to providing a quality education to intellectually and developmentally disabled boys and girls between the ages of eight and 23-years-old. Now, every June, students from the Notre Dame School and ESD team up for one week of baseball and summer camp fun. Activities range from baseball, volleyball, and basketball scrimmages to waterslide adventures, Home Run Derbys and even a World Series showdown. 

“I worked for The Arc of the United States for several summers and saw how much the campers enjoyed a baseball-like game we played with them,” Hundley said. “I wanted to provide an opportunity for the campers at The Arc to enjoy the games and sports camp I had always been able to do through the YMCA and ESD.”

In the camp’s first year, Hundley obtained permission from ESD’s Mike Schneider and David Tollison to use the school’s fields. Next, he recruited several of his classmates to help run the camp, including Shelby Conine `14 and Preston Crow `14, two of this year’s camp organizers (Shelby’s twin brother, Mason, also helped run the camp). Every year since, siblings have passed the camp down to their younger brothers and sisters, ensuring the traditions and camaraderie stays alive.

“We planned all the activities, recruited the students, shopped for snacks, and basically made sure everything was going to run smoothly on the first day,” Shelby, who inherited the camp from her brother Travis (Class of 2010) two years ago, explained. “Seeing the kids come back year after year is the most rewarding experience, especially when you notice how much they have developed.”

This year, more than 15 students from the Notre Dame School signed up to learn the basics of several different sports and other team activities. On the last day, ESD students organized a small baseball scrimmage and home run derby for the students where they could showcase their hitting, throwing, and base running skills. By the end of the day, every participant had either hit a home run or circled the bases.

For all participants, participating in the Baseball Buddies program is a winning combination. The ESD students say they get to meet new friends and spend a week of their summer vacation playing sports, while the students from the Notre Dame School develop their confidence and make new friends, too.

“Bonding with the students from the Notre Dame School and seeing their excitement every morning is the best part about Baseball Buddies,” Crow said. “Seeing all the hard work we’ve put into organizing the camp definitely pays off at the end of the week.”