The Arc brings communities together with unified softball

Unified sports are designed to promote inclusion and break down barriers between people with and without intellectual disabilities

Ryan Pleggenkuhle

Jul. 18, 2025 11:38 am, Updated: Jul. 21, 2025 8:45 am

Caden Witter high fives opposing players as players and helpers finish their softball game with a round of high fives and good games at Cleveland Park in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Riders with Journey of Hope, through The Ability Experience of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity are bringing disability awareness as they pedal across the country. The riders will finish one the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

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CEDAR RAPIDS — It doesn’t matter who’s on the opposing side.

When four Cedar Rapids-based teams come together to play unified softball, everyone wins.

“It’s just a big, happy get-together,” The Arc of East Central Iowa Senior Operations Director Kyle Schramp said. “Many of the players know each other. They don’t care who’s on which team. They’re cheering for everyone, which is beautiful.”

Unified sports are designed to promote inclusion and break down barriers between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Thanks to organizations like The Arc, unified softball is alive and well in Cedar Rapids.

“For people who don’t know about softball, it’s a great sport,” veteran Arc softball player Tyler Smothers said. “You can make a lot of new friends in the community.”

The Arc’s 2025 softball season began June 17. It runs for six weeks, with games played on Tuesday nights at Cleveland Park in Cedar Rapids.

“My favorite part is getting to know people and having fun,” first-year Arc softball player Karaleigh Joens said. “I love this group. It’s amazing. I love being with them.”

Two of the league’s four teams belong to The Arc — the Arc Angels and Arc Aces.

DeMarion Fleetwood steps on home plate to score a run during a softball game at Cleveland Park in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Riders with Journey of Hope, through The Ability Experience of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity are bringing disability awareness as they pedal across the country. The riders will finish one the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

“We generally have around 25 to 30 players a year that we split between the two teams,” Schramp said. “People are required to be at least 15 and need a buddy or mentor to help them at bat or in the field. That gets a lot more people involved, which is pretty fun.”

There is no upper age limit for players in the league.

The other two teams are made up of players from Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Cedar Rapids Kennedy high schools.

“The Cedar Rapids schools provide transportation to our day care, so students can attend until they go through regular high school and transition,” Schramp said. “There’s a program called Best Buddies that Kennedy is a part of. And the Jefferson coach is a special education teacher — so they’ve just known a lot about these kids for a long time.”

The Arc has been coordinating unified softball for about 25 years, according to Schramp. Schramp has been involved with the softball program for “at least 10 years.”

The league is strong today, but there was concern it wouldn’t return after the 2020 and 2021 seasons were canceled due to COVID-19.

Journey of Hope rider Ryan Vollmer (left) of Syracuse, NY., encourages ARC ball player Zach Zenk to throw the ball during a softball game at Cleveland Park in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Riders with Journey of Hope, through The Ability Experience of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity are bringing disability awareness as they pedal across the country. The riders will finish one the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

“Softball was in danger of going away,” Schramp said. “Seeing the pure joy people have playing, I really didn’t want that to happen. “

The Arc brought the program back in 2022.

“I’ve had parents tell me this is what their child or adult loved, one (they) look forward to all year,” Schramp said. “I think what they love is it’s very lax and really about people getting involved, having fun and that everybody has the ability to play at whatever level they can.”

Earlier this week, the Arc Angels and Arc Aces were joined by a special group of guests during their game.

Twenty-six cyclists from Journey of Hope — a nonprofit dedicated to serving people with disabilities — made their annual stop in Cedar Rapids for softball.

“We’re all members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which is a national collegiate fraternity,” Journey of Hope crew member Cameron Geranios said. “The idea is for ‘Pi Caps’ to come together and do something really big to benefit the disability community.”

This year, the Journey of Hope’s tour began on June 8 in San Francisco. The riders will make several stops along the way before finishing in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 9 — 3,955 miles in total.

Cole Fonger connects with the ball during a softball game at Cleveland Park in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Riders with Journey of Hope, through The Ability Experience of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity are bringing disability awareness as they pedal across the country. The riders will finish one the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

“We’ve been coming to Cedar Rapids for a number of years,” Geranios said. “I think building and maintaining relationships is really important for us, especially with communities like Cedar Rapids.”

“I can’t tell you what a good group of guys it is, year in, year out,” Schramp said. “I mean, if you’re going to ride across the country to advocate for people with disabilities, they’ve got a lot of passion. They are so wonderful with the players, really interacting with them and having fun. The players really enjoy it.”

The Arc’s 2025 season concludes Tuesday with games at 6 and 7 p.m.

DeMarion Fleetwood smiles as he stands at bat during a softball game at Cleveland Park in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Riders with Journey of Hope, through The Ability Experience of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity are bringing disability awareness as they pedal across the country. The riders will finish one the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

“I think if people watched a game, it would be so powerful to them — just seeing the joy they have in life,” Schramp said. “I tell people often that this is my favorite hour of the week. If you need to step away from the harsh realities of the world, come join us on Tuesday night.”