SABR Baseball Memories

"We've seen people open up like a flower, we've we say people who are not very communicative in the beginning. And suddenly they find something that triggers a memory in their mind," said Jon Leonoudakis

Baseball is America’s national pastime. It’s also a way for people living with Alzheimer’s and their care partners to find support. 

Jon Leonoudakis is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, known as SABR. He also facilitates one of SABR’s baseball memory support groups.

"People who are suffering with Alzheimer's and dementia were pretty active in the '50s and '60s, some consider that the golden age of baseball when it permeated our public consciousness here in America, so there's a lot of fond memories."

Leonoudakis says it triggers something.

SABR Baseball Memories

"We want the connection. We want the socialization, we want people to connect with each other. And that's one of the wonderful things we've seen in these programs.," said John Leonoudakis

"We've seen people open up like a flower," he said.

And they might share a story or memory. Leonoudakis says these meetups are also good for the care partner.

"They're seeing their person come alive and interact in ways they don't typically see during the day because of the way they're engaged during the session. They see that sparkle in their eye," said Leonoudakis.

Members from SABR will be speaking at the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America conference on Feb. 16. 

SABR Baseball Memories

"Every every session has a theme. And a lot of times we'll center that on the region: If we're in San Diego, we're talking about the Padres. In Arizona, we're talking about the Diamondbacks," Jon Leonoudakis