Keeper of The Game
“The mission of Keeper of The Game is to provide kids and young adults with special needs and disabilities unique baseball experiences that foster the growth of those individuals and their love of baseball. Keeper of The Game promotes programs that allow these athletes to play, watch and experience baseball at a very personal level. This is all done with a focus on advancing servant leadership.”
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of longtime Keeper of The Game athlete Clayton Iburg (March 21, 2007-Feb. 19, 2026).
Clayton was a bright light in our foundation for 10-plus years and proudly served as one of our ambassadors. He sang the National Anthem before all of our events and made an instant, positive and lasting impact on everyone he met. His smile was contagious. Clayton was a tremendous teammate, talented ballplayer and dependable volunteer in The Miracle League of Frisco. He truly loved baseball and helping others. His courageous battle with leukemia was inspirational.
Clayton will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live on forever through Keeper of The Game.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his parents Tina and Mark; extended family; friends; teammates; coaches; and the many Keeper and Frisco Miracle League families who share the heartbreak of his passing.
“Clayton was a big part of my introduction to Miracle League,” Keeper of The Game Executive Director Bryan Hoctor said. “He was the first special needs athlete I got to know and we grew together. Clayton went from a shy little child to an ambassador of our foundation. Much more than a special needs athlete, he was the voice of Keeper, as well as a volunteer and spokesperson. Clayton is a shining example that there are no boundaries to what a special needs child can do.”
Services to celebrate Clayton’s life will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, the Iburg family has requested a donation to the Keeper of The Game Foundation or The Miracle League of Frisco.
#TeamClayton
- Keeper of The Game mourns loss of ambassador Clayton Iburg
- Miracle League Twins named 2025 Keeper of The Game Team of the Year
- O’Hearn, Vilade named 2025 Keeper of The Game Award winners
- Keeper of The Game launches “Justin’s Love” programming
- Andrus named 2024 Keeper of The Game Award winner
- Frisco RoughRiders named 2024 Keeper of The Game Team of the Year
- Fourth annual RP11 Strikes and Scholarships event set for Jan. 7
- Keeper of The Game featured in Afriautism Magazine
- Xander becomes Keeper’s first 1 million views athlete
- Third annual RP11 Strikes and Scholarships set for Jan. 9
NEW GEAR!!!
Good news! We’ve re-opened our store. Check out all the Keeper, RP11 and J12 gear by clicking here.
NEW PROGRAMMING:
Justin’s Love – #J12
The Keeper of The Game Foundation launch “Justin’s Love” programming in 2025 to provide financial assistance for medically fragile children who become hospitalized. The initiative is in honor of Justin Nelson, who lost a courageous battle with several ailments at the age of 20 in September of 2022. Justin’s Love is also be known as “J12” programming because Justin’s favorite number was 12 and the official logo is in his favorite color, maroon. To learn more, click here. To make a contribution to J12 programming, click here.
KEEPER SPOTLIGHT:
JR98 Inc.
Keeper of The Game is a great supporter of the JR98 Inc. Foundation, which advocates for mental health and suicide prevention through education and community service. Suffering in silence is not ok. The foundation is run by the Ramirez family, who are winners of the 2022 Keeper of The Game Award. To learn more at JR98 Inc., click here.
AWARD WINNER!
We were honored to win 2020 award for Frisco’s Nonprofit of the Year! Thank you to all our Keepers for helping make it happen.
THANK YOU KEEPERS! This year we raised a record $53,011 for the Ron Patterson Scholarship Fund to help special needs students attend St. Timothy Christian Academy in Plano, Texas. We have raised $218,811 since 2022 because of YOU!
You can always donate directly to the Ron Patterson Scholarship Fund, which benefits special needs students attending St. Timothy Christian Academy in Plano, Texas. Any amount will make an impact. To contribute, please click here. #RP11
Keeper of The Game was recently featured by PiZetta Media for a “Frontliners TV” mini-documentary. It includes interviews with our Founder James Vilade and Executive Director Bryan Hoctor. To watch, click here.
Keeper of The Game is a proud supporter of Special Olympics since 2014. To learn more about the wonderful organization, click here.
Keeper of The Game is a proud supporter of The Miracle League of Frisco. Keeper of The Game hosts numerous clinics for the league and purchased three new wheelchairs for the athletes. To learn more, click here.
SOCIAL KEEPERS
You can keep up with Keeper of The Game on Facebook, X and Instagram. Make sure to tag us and always use the hashtag: #keeperofthegame. Thank you for your support!