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St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

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The last Cardinals Reminiscence League offers therapeutic baseball experience for dementia patients, families

According to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), the first baseball reminiscence program in the US was the Cardinals Reminiscence League (CRL). Begun in 2011, [CRL] was a joint effort by the Alzheimer’s Association, St. Louis University, the Veteran’s Administration, and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum.”

The program was designed to offer a unique form of “sports reminiscence therapy,” welcoming all Cardinals enthusiasts eager to share their baseball memories and explore the rich history of their beloved hometown team.

By 2015, The St. Louis Jewish Community Center, was among nearly a dozen such sites to host the CRL. Now, in 2024, the J is the only one still offering the program.

The Cardinals Reminiscence League is back

As anticipation builds for the return of the St. Louis Cardinals to the field in just two weeks, The CLR is gearing up for its own Opening Day, aimed at bringing joy and connection to baseball fans living with dementia. Through engaging activities and heartfelt discussions, the program uses baseball to stimulate cognition and foster a sense of belonging among its participants.

“Each session, from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to playing Baseball Lingo, is carefully designed to evoke cherished memories and spark lively conversations about America’s favorite pastime,” shared Alan Spector, discussion group leader of CRL and author of “Baseball: Never Too Old to Play the Game.”

Reminiscence therapy

Reminiscence therapy has consistently been shown to make a positive difference in participants’ quality of life, including among those living with mild to moderate dementia.

“Everything we do is intended to stimulate cognition among our participants.  One way we do this is to strive to engage each of the five senses throughout each session,” said Spector.

Sight
Using PowerPoint slides and videos, the sessions are filled with images from the game. Local memorabilia collector, Howard Bly, also brings items from his vast collection for participants to see.

Hearing
During each session, participants sing the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ball Game, each accompanied by its music.  Each session concludes with the music from the Budweiser Clydesdale theme.

Touch and Smell
Demonstrations are planned utilizing all aspects of baseball equipment so that participants can relive the feeling of baseballs, gloves, bats, and catcher’s equipment, in their hands. They emphasize the scents of the game with that same baseball equipment.

Taste
Before the last session of the season, the J arranges for a baseball luncheon featuring ballpark food for all participants before we begin talking baseball.

History and nicknames

Baseball is a game, but there is no shortage of human interest stories in the sport’s history.  These stories resonate both with baseball enthusiasts and with those who are less passionate about the game.

“We prompt discussion by reviewing baseball history and Cardinals history specifically.  When we do, we sometimes discuss what else was going on in the world at the time—both in other sports and in the news,” said Spector. “Nicknames are always a hit. Ducky, Dizzy, Daffy, Dazzy, and Ozzie.  The great, most well-known Cardinals players always resonate.  Mention Stan “The Man” Musial, and everyone lights up.”

St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial as he was depicted on his 1953 Bowman baseball trading card. (Public Domain)

While history is big part of the program, keeping participants engaged in the current team is also part of the plan.

“We discuss how the Cardinals are doing this season.  Seemingly everyone knows at least a little about this.  We then vote thumbs up or down on how the Redbirds will do the rest of the season.  Invariably, everyone votes,” said Spector.

What you need to know

There are two 90-minute sessions a month throughout the baseball season. The first session for the 2024 season will be on Monday, April 1 at 1:00 at Adult Day at the J. Free and family members are welcome. RSVP is required. RSVP to Karen Stephenson, or by calling 314-442-3248

In-person participants include Adult Day at the J members and visitors from the broader community.  Recently, the program has also been joined in person by participants from Dolan Memory Care Homes.

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About the Contributor
Jordan Palmer
Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content Officer
Jordan worked at KSDK from 1995 to 2020. Jordan is a three-time Emmy award winner who produced every kind of show from news to specials during his tenure, creating Show Me St. Louis, The Cardinal Nation Show. He started ksdk.com in 2001 and won three Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalistic and website excellence in 2010, 2014 and 2020. Jordan has been married for 25 years and is the father of two college students. He is an avid biker, snowboarder, and beer lover. He created the blog drink314.com, focusing on the St. Louis beer community in 2015. Jordan has an incredible and vast knowledge of useless information and is the grandson of a Cleveland bootlegger.