Ready to be inspired? Here is An Inspiring Baseball Story – How Dave Clark Overcame Polio To Play Professional Ball
We were lucky enough to be introducing Dave Clark, an amazing person with an amazing story that clearly exemplifies mental toughness and a never give up attitude.
Imagine being 5-foot-2 and playing professional baseball. And not just playing, but managing, coaching, scouting, owning a professional barnstorming team that toured the country and traveling Europe as a representative of Major League Baseball.
Now imagine doing it all on crutches due to polio.
Watch and learn about his amazing baseball story on this video…
“My story is a story of doing things that you don’t think are quite possible to achieve.”
I want you to meet an extraordinary man. His name is Dave Clark.
“I had Polio at ten months of age which was misdiagnosed at first. So it dragged on three more weeks before my parents took me back to the doctor, and it was diagnosed correctly as Polio.
“My mom looked at the doctor and she said ‘Doctor if he could only walk,’ and the doctor looked to my parents and said, ‘You’re wrong Mrs. Clark. If he can only use his brain, think for himself.’ I gotta tell ya years later I realize that doctor was dead on, because to me this thing here (points to head) is the most important muscle in your body.”
“When I was released from the Ithaca Reconstruction Home I came out using my first set of braces. I was about two years old, a little less than two years old, and I came out using those braces and crutches kinda walking like Frankenstein.
In school kids can be vicious. It’s just the nature of the human being. And I got picked on incessantly. I was made to know I was different. It was not a comfortable feeling, I was not accepted, I was not part of the peer group.”
“About this time my dream started. I thought to myself I’d like a shot at least seeing if I could play professional baseball. I didn’t tell anybody about this dream because I was afraid to. Afraid they’d laugh, afraid they’d think it was unreasonable. And it was. It was.”
Dave’s Mission is to inspire people to overcome personal challenges and perceived limitations that lead to satisfying and productive lives. One way he does this is by organizing Disability Dream Day (D3) events that provide those with differing disabilities an opportunity to participate in D3 Events Baseball Camp hosted by Dave Clark.
The mission of D3 is to generate awareness for over 50 million Americans living with disabilities by highlighting their potential and accomplishments.
At the D3 Special Needs Baseball Camp, Dave brings over 40 years of expertise at every level of baseball. His unique athletic journey as a player, coach, manger, scout and owner will provide a fun-filled day of activity and learning.
Participants will be fielding, throwing, and hitting with hands-on help from Professional and college baseball players. Activities will accommodate the varying skill levels for all attendees. Click here to learn more.