Page 130 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2025

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Buddy Sports Helps People Make Great Memories
story by John N. Felsher photos courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Buddy Sports
Every angler always wants to catch the biggest fish, but sometimes, they catch something much more important. They catch smiles.
Mike Crawford’s daughter Emily, now 23, has disabilities that prevented her from participating in many activities with other children. The Pass Christian man decided to do something about that. In 2010, he founded Mississippi Gulf Coast Buddy Sports and currently serves as its executive director.
“At first, we started a buddy baseball program in Long Beach where we pair volunteers with players,” Crawford says. “Two teams play against each other, but we don’t keep score. It’s really all about participation.”
Since then, the all-volunteer Buddy
Sports added kickball, horseback
riding, sunset cruises to Ship Island and other activities. Now, about 250 South Mississippi families participate in various Buddy Sports programs for people five years old and up.
“Everything we do is free, thanks to our sponsors and grants,” Crawford says. “We don’t take any tax dollars. Participants don’t pay anything. Everyone is a volunteer.”
In 2019, Buddy Sports began taking people fishing out of Long Beach. One volunteer boat captain, Ronnie Daniels, runs Fisher-Man Guide Services out of Pass Christian Harbor.
“Ronnie suggested we do a fishing event in Pass Christian during the fall,” Crawford recalls. “We’re always looking
130 | December 2025
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catching smiles