About Us

A Brief History of Buddy Ball

adapted from an article by Jennifer Amato/Newspaper Media Group

Around 20 years ago [1999], North Brunswick modeled its Buddy Ball program off Edison, which was the first area town to pair children age 5 and older who have physical and developmental challenges with peers while practicing sports drills in a fun, relaxed environment.

Founders of the program, including previous directors, included Darren Snedik, George Shamy, Sherri Telleri, Tom Seilheimer, Ned Geiger, Tim Adams and Pete Clark.

Buddy Ball also serves as “good therapy” for parents, according to Clark, who said adults can meet others in their same position, share resources, learn about out-of-district placement in schools, and simply have an opportunity to get out of the house.

The Buddy Ball program also instills a sense of community pride in its members, having previously organized a branch pickup at Community Park, holding food drives, and placing American flags along the 5K path in the park in time for Memorial Day.