Annual visit from amputee softball team brings Closter community together

In 2010, Saul Monroy was injured by an improvised explosive device as a Marine in Afghanistan, resulting in a below-knee amputation. Today, he is the owner of a small family business and a talented softball player for the USA Patriots who nailed a three-run home run over 300 feet into the air at Closter Memorial Field.

The USA Patriots softball team, made up of athletic and veteran amputees, visited Closter this past Memorial Day weekend. The team played one game against Closter’s first responders on Saturday night and a second game against the Closter Elks on Sunday morning. The Patriots also played in Closter in 2019 and 2021. The borough is working to make this an annual tradition.  

The Patriots’ mission is to build community and promote healing for athletic and veteran amputees through inclusive sports and therapeutic recreation. The team travels the country playing competitive and exhibition softball games. The games in Closter raised funds for “Kids Camp,” a weeklong, all-expenses-paid summer camp that empowers children with amputations or limb loss. Annually, $180,000 is raised to fund the camp.

The team educates local children

As part of the visit to Closter, the team spoke at two assemblies at Tenakill Middle School about the abilities of amputees and the needs of injured veterans. Team members shared their stories with middle school students to encourage solidarity and educate about disability.Scotty Fura Jr. spoke to students about his journey joining the team. When he was 2 years old, he lost his right arm in a lawn mower accident. Scotty attended the first Kids Camp run by the Patriots in 2013 and served as a bat boy for the team for many years before he was asked to try out as a player in 2021. Scotty will graduate from college this year and is working toward a career in law enforcement.“Especially in this day and age, where a lot of people are looked at as different … the stories that he's able to tell about the team and then just about his life, people realize he's not different,” said Closter Recreation Commission Director Jim Oettinger, who helped coordinate the visit. “He’s no different than anybody else.”

The team practiced with the Challenger Program baseball team on Saturday morning. The program is sponsored by Closter Recreation and was established in 1997 for people with disabilities of all ages across New Jersey and New York. The initiative runs baseball and T-ball in the spring and basketball in the winter. Currently, 70 people play for the basketball team and 40 people for the baseball team.

The Patriots and Challengers have practiced together during every past Patriots visit to Closter, leading many players to become friends. In a touching moment, a young player was amazed by Fura's talent after practicing one-on-one with him.

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“By the end of the session when they were practicing, he was like, ‘Scotty, I can’t believe how good you are at this,’” Oettinger said.

Children with disabilities are at increased risk of being bullied because of perceived differences and a lack of peer support, according to stopbullying.gov. For the Challengers, practicing with a phenomenal team of players with disabilities was a powerful reminder that they can accomplish anything.“Many of the Challenger kids we have ... they know that they might be considered different than [people without disabilities],” Oettinger said. “Having the USA Patriots work with them really shows them that they’re not that different. … When they see adults that are able to play baseball, softball … it gives them, I guess, the wherewithal to try to dig down and say, you know, I can do that, too. It gives them hope.”

Stellar plays in two exciting games

On Saturday night, the Patriots played against Closter’s First Responders, a team made up of the Police Department, Volunteer Fire Department, and Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Corps. The Patriots won 21-14.“The energy was great,” said Closter Mayor John Glidden, who attended both games. “They were really into the game. They want to win. And they play very hard.”The excellent performance by the Patriots demonstrated their immense talent as a team.

“There were some incredible plays made by both teams,” Oettinger said. “More so by the Patriots — diving catches, which the crowd was on their feet a few times, cheering. … Scotty played center field and made a diving catch with one arm, and it's amazing just to see how he is able to take the glove off, put the glove under his arm and throw the ball.”The Patriots also defeated the Closter Elks, 22-11, on Sunday morning.

Building solidarity, community

The visit took about eight months to plan and involved every part of the community. Closter's local civic organizations, the Elks and the Lions, backed the events. Closter's Department of Public Works and first responders contributed to hosting the games. Little League baseball players were stationed in the outfield of the games to catch foul balls and home runs. Funds for the USA Patriots' Kids Camp were raised through ticket and food sales at the games and sponsorships from local businesses.“It was a full community event. It was tremendous, everybody’s support,” Oettinger said.Glidden remarked that the community was brought together through “the recognition that these are special people. … They're doing something for disadvantaged youth by going around and playing in these games.”