Josh is a small business owner and studying for his degree in criminal justice. He has an interest in technology and is the brother of a young adult with developmental disabilities.

If we could design the perfect volunteer. Holy cow, it would be an exact copy of Rachel. She showed up one day in late April of 2017 with an old friend of ours. We thought if she were to coach like Alissa, we’d be overjoyed. Well, she was nothing like Alissa but we could definitely see why they were great friends. Both had massive hearts, were natural teachers, and crazy senses of humor that gushed out. No way were we letting this one get away. Rachel has stayed tight with our growing organization through thick and thin. In times when we needs help, she was there. In time when we were short-handed, she stepped up again. There is something really special about a person that is that dedicated; someone on which you know you can depend. Because she is an ever-present figure, the kids know and love her and the parents are always comfortable knowing she’s got the field covered. When we expanded to become the PLAYMAKERS, she once again raised her hand when we needed a new Volunteer Coordinator. In the spring 0f 2023, she decided raising funds for us was something to which she wanted to devote her considerable talents. Once again, she was filling an enormous need absolutely perfectly. She has a BA in Criminology, Law, & Society and has been working in the non-profit world for 15 years. She recently became a Certified Fund Raising Executive and we know her expertise will be invaluable to us. Thanks Rachel, for being our rock. The cartoon you see at the opening of our baseball page, was created and wholly produced by Mr. Andrew Shiley. It is his first published work and we are so honored that he gifted our organization with this special creation. Andrew is now 34 years old, lives on his own in a very tidy apartment, has a driver’s license and car and works two part-time jobs. His first was in a frozen yogurt shop whose owners saw an increase in business when he started because people wanted to return to visit Andrew. The next job was at a bakery which was started by an angelic woman who wanted to man her shop fully with the special needs community. They all greet customer, make coffee drinks, create bagels from scratch, and bake up dozens of other delectable treats. The line is often out the door. We at PLAYMAKERS, know that Andrew is very special but he’s not extraordinary. He has been given a chance to succeed and we think others can find their own way to follow in his footsteps. It is our pledge and ultimate goal to help our participants achieve their highest capacity. We often say, “Never assume they can’t!” Please help us create sparks and prepare a path to their better lives by joining in our efforts. Aunt Cynthia President/CEO PLAYMAKERS, org.

The love of baseball hit Mike early and by the time he was 13 years old, he found himself in the Babe Ruth World Series. He was heavily influenced by his coach, Cuck McMichaels, who went on to become a scout and executive with several Major League baseball teams. Mike used his experiences to coach one of his daughter’s first baseball team which is where he began observing the interests of his 3-year-old son who has Downs Syndrome. Mike’s keen eye for baseball details helped him customize and adapt the drills to fit Mikey. He and his wife got permission to start a Challenger League for Special Needs kids in 2016 and the ultimate result is what we now call Playmakers. Mikey was our player #1. Coach Mike’s catalogue of tricks has grown enormously over the last ten years and he is now directing our entire baseball program; changing his methods to fit each special child. He has a Master’s degree from Concordia University, Irvine in Coaching and Athletic Administration. He is also a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). He also has a certification in Personal Training and currently working on a certification in Mental Performance with Brian Cain. This is a family affair for Coach Mike. His wife Susan is the Co-Founder and Treasurer of Playmakers, his daughter Isabella is featured in several of the promotional videos and his son Mikey still participates in the program. We are very blessed to have such a dedicated father and leader head our baseball program.

Susie has taught ballet, jazz and tap dance for over 25 years. She started in her hometown of Whittier, CA by teaching extra-curricular classes in private schools, preschools, library programs and special programs such as scouting events and summer community classes. She followed her passion for dance to also choreograph musicals for many community theaters. The last 20 years she has been living in Katy, Texas where she taught at two popular dance studios: for one she was the director for primary classes (3rd grade and younger), and for the other she focused on junior/senior high competition groups. In addition to her dance experience, she also holds a bachelor’s degree in Child Development and is a certified Texas teacher for early education through 6th grade as well as special education. She and two of her three sons have recently relocated back to Southern California where she is excited to share her love of dance with a new group of students.

Andrew is the shining light that came into my life when my sister married his father. He was 25 at the time. From the day he met our family, he was polite and filled with an infectious joy. When the noise of our gatherings got to be too much, he’d retreat into a quiet room with his laptop. He has since used that time to hone his passion which is animation. He first draws and colors his ideas by hand and then commits them to his Animator program. The cartoon you see at the opening of our baseball page, was created and wholly produced by Mr. Andrew Shiley. It is his first published work and we are so honored that he gifted our organization with this special creation. Andrew is now 34 years old, lives on his own in a very tidy apartment, has a driver’s license and car and works two part-time jobs. His first was in a frozen yogurt shop whose owners saw an increase in business when he started because people wanted to return to visit Andrew. The next job was at a bakery which was started by an angelic woman who wanted to man her shop fully with the special needs community. They all greet customer, make coffee drinks, create bagels from scratch, and bake up dozens of other delectable treats. The line is often out the door. We at PLAYMAKERS, know that Andrew is very special but he’s not extraordinary. He has been given a chance to succeed and we think others can find their own way to follow in his footsteps. It is our pledge and ultimate goal to help our participants achieve their highest capacity. We often say, “Never assume they can’t!” Please help us create sparks and prepare a path to their better lives by joining in our efforts. Aunt Cynthia President/CEO PLAYMAKERS, org.