Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Gebhart.
Hi Tim, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always believed that sports have the power to change lives. Growing up, I loved baseball and eventually had the opportunity to play in college. After graduating, I earned my master’s degree in special education because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids who often don’t get the same opportunities as everyone else.
My career has been a bit of a unique blend of education, sports, and nonprofit work. I spent several years with Ripken Baseball, where I helped run youth baseball programs and tournaments across the country alongside Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and 12 year MLB vet Bill Ripken. I also had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State, using baseball to build relationships and connect with communities in countries like China, Japan, and Nicaragua.
People always ask what brought me to Pittsburgh, and honestly, it wasn’t part of some grand plan.
At the time, I was working for Ripken Baseball, traveling the country running youth baseball camps. Sean Casey and Bill Ripken were roommates at MLB Network, and Sean was telling Bill about this dream he had. He had built a special baseball field for kids with disabilities and wanted to raise $1 million for an adaptive playground next to it.
Bill’s response was simple: “I’ll send my guy to help. Just make sure you send him back.”
That “guy” happened to be me.
I was already scheduled to run camps at Miller Park in Milwaukee and Comerica Park in Detroit, so I made a stop in Pittsburgh to help Sean with his Champions Camp. We had a great weekend, raised a lot of money, and I continued making Pittsburgh part of my Ripken camp route for the next four years.
Along the way, I got to know Sean, the families, and the incredible community that had formed around this little baseball field. What started as a weekend stop became a place that felt like home.
Then one day, Sean called and told me the director position was opening up. He said, “I think you’d be perfect for this.”
As much as I wanted to say yes, I had to turn him down. My girlfriend, who’s now my wife, had just started graduate school, and for the first time in our relationship we were actually within driving distance of each other. Before that, we had survived a Baltimore-to-Seattle long-distance relationship, and neither of us was eager to go back to that.
A year later, June of 2016, Sean called again.
“The job’s still here if you want it.”
This time, my wife looked at me and said, “I think it’s time.”
So we packed up and moved to Pittsburgh.
Looking back, it’s hard to believe that a simple stop on a baseball camp tour changed the course of my life. What was supposed to be a one-time favor for Bill Ripken turned into my dream job. Today, I have the privilege of serving as CEO of Casey’s Clubhouse, helping create opportunities for children and adults with disabilities through sports, employment, travel, and community.
Over my 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of helping the organization grow from a local baseball program into something much bigger. Today, Casey’s Clubhouse serves more than 1,000 athletes and participants through baseball, job training, strength and wellness programs, travel experiences, camps, and community events. We’ve expanded our reach while staying true to the mission that Sean Casey envisioned from the beginning: making sure everyone has a place where they belong.
I’m incredibly excited about what’s ahead. We’re preparing for a major facility expansion that will include a second field, a sensory room, expanded job training space, and accessible amenities for families. My goal isn’t simply to grow an organization. It’s to help build a destination where children and adults with disabilities can discover their strengths, make lifelong friendships, and create memories that last a lifetime.
Looking back, it’s funny how all the pieces fit together. Education taught me patience and understanding. Baseball taught me teamwork and leadership. Traveling the world showed me the universal language of sports. Casey’s Clubhouse has given me the opportunity to bring all of those experiences together for a mission that I truly believe is changing lives. And honestly, I feel like we’re just getting started.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. I think anyone who tells you the road has been smooth probably hasn’t taken many chances.
Personally, one of the biggest challenges was simply betting on myself. I left a stable career in youth sports to join a small nonprofit with a big dream. Casey’s Clubhouse had an incredible mission, but we were still figuring out what we could become. There were plenty of long days, nights, and weekends where we were wearing every hat imaginable. You learn pretty quickly in the nonprofit world that there isn’t a job description for “other duties as assigned.” Some days you’re meeting with donors, some days you’re lining a baseball field, and some days you’re unclogging a toilet before a game.
Moving to Pittsburgh was a leap of faith, too. My wife and I packed up our lives because we believed in the mission and the people behind it. That kind of decision comes with uncertainty, but it’s one we’ve never regretted.
Professionally, one of the biggest challenges has been balancing growth with staying true to who we are. When I started, we were primarily a baseball organization. Today, we’re serving more than 1,000 athletes and participants through baseball, job training, strength and wellness programs, travel experiences, camps, and community events. Every opportunity to grow comes with the responsibility of making sure we’re doing it for the right reasons and never losing sight of the families who trusted us from the beginning.
Like everyone else, we also had to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. For an organization built around bringing people together, that was incredibly difficult. Our families rely on Casey’s Clubhouse for connection and community, and suddenly we had to figure out how to support them when we couldn’t physically be together. It forced us to be creative and reminded us that what we provide goes far beyond sports.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that challenges aren’t roadblocks. They’re opportunities to adapt and improve. Some of our best ideas and biggest successes came from moments when we had to figure things out on the fly.
I’ve also learned that you don’t build something meaningful by yourself. Sean Casey likes to say, “Surround yourself with good people,” and that’s probably the best advice I’ve ever received. Casey’s Clubhouse has grown because of an amazing team, dedicated volunteers, generous donors, and families who believe in what we’re doing.
At the end of the day, the struggles have been worth it because every challenge has led to another opportunity to create experiences for kids and adults with disabilities who deserve the same chances to play, work, travel, and belong as everyone else. Watching that happen makes all the hard days pretty easy to forget.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The funny thing is, if you asked me what I do, “CEO” probably wouldn’t be my first answer. I like to think of myself as someone who creates opportunities for people.
At Casey’s Clubhouse, we’re in the business of building experiences. Baseball just happens to be one of the tools we use. We create places where children and adults with disabilities can make friends, gain confidence, find employment, travel, stay active, and simply be themselves. Whether it’s stepping into the batter’s box for the first time, earning a paycheck through our Next Inning job training program, or traveling across the country with teammates, those moments can change lives.
I think what I specialize in is bringing people together. One of my favorite parts of the job is connecting someone with an opportunity they never thought possible. Sometimes that’s an athlete trying something new. Sometimes it’s a volunteer discovering a passion for serving others. Sometimes it’s a donor or community partner realizing they can be part of something bigger than themselves.
What I’m probably most known for is dreaming big and finding ways to make those dreams happen. At Casey’s Clubhouse, we’ve never wanted to settle for being just another baseball program. We’ve grown into an organization that serves more than 1,000 athletes and participants through sports, job training, wellness initiatives, travel experiences, camps, and community events. Looking ahead, we’re preparing for a facility expansion that will allow us to serve even more families and create one of the premier destinations for individuals with disabilities.
But what I’m most proud of isn’t a building or a fundraising number. It’s the culture we’ve built. We have families who have been with us for more than a decade. Kids who have grown into adults and now work in our programs. Volunteers who started in middle school and are now bringing their own families back to Casey’s Clubhouse. That’s pretty special.
I also think what sets me apart is my background. I’ve been a special education teacher, worked in professional and youth sports, traveled the world through baseball as a U.S. State Department Sports Envoy, and now lead a nonprofit. Those experiences taught me that everyone wants the same basic things: to belong, to be valued, and to have a chance to succeed.
At the end of the day, though, I’m just a small piece of the puzzle. Sean Casey taught me a lesson that has stuck with me for years: leave a legacy by making other people better. That’s what I try to do every day. If I can help create an environment where people feel included, valued, and capable of more than they ever imagined, then I’d say I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I’d probably leave your readers with this: don’t underestimate the power of saying yes.
Some of the best things in my life happened because someone took a chance on me, or because I was willing to take a chance on something that didn’t come with a guarantee. A stop in Pittsburgh on the way to a baseball camp turned into a career. A conversation between Sean Casey and Bill Ripken turned into a friendship and a mission that has shaped my life. Countless volunteers have shown up for what they thought would be a few hours of baseball and ended up becoming part of a family.
I also hope people realize that inclusion isn’t charity. It’s community. Individuals with disabilities don’t need pity. They need opportunities. They need places to work, play, travel, compete, and build friendships just like everyone else. When we create those opportunities, we all benefit.
I’m incredibly excited about what’s next for Casey’s Clubhouse. We’re preparing for the biggest chapter in our history with a facility expansion that will include a second field, a sensory room, an expanded Next Inning job training center, accessible family amenities, and spaces designed to serve individuals with disabilities throughout every stage of life. My hope is that one day Casey’s Clubhouse won’t just be known as a great place to play baseball, but as one of the country’s premier destinations for inclusion and belonging.
Personally, I’ve started thinking a lot about legacy. Legacy isn’t a building with your name on it or a title on a business card. It’s the people you impact and the opportunities you create for others. Sean Casey has often challenged our team to leave the jersey in a better place than we found it, and I think that’s a pretty good way to live.
If there’s one thing I’d ask of your readers, it’s this: find a way to get involved in your community. Volunteer. Coach. Mentor. Donate. Show up for a neighbor. You don’t have to start a nonprofit or build a baseball field to change someone’s life. Small acts of kindness have a way of creating ripple effects that you may never fully see.
And if our story at Casey’s Clubhouse proves anything, it’s that extraordinary things can happen when ordinary people decide to believe in one another. I can’t wait to see where the next chapter takes us, because I truly believe we’re just getting started.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.caseysclubhouse.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseysclub21
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caseysclub21
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/caseysclub21
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@caseysclub21
