Kenny Kulesz spent years building South Baltimore's youth sports scene from the ground up, coaching t-ball squads, training umpires, and founding a basketball league for local kids. Now the longtime coach is the one who needs help, after suffering a severe stroke that has significantly affected his speech and balance and left his family facing a long, uncertain road to recovery.
Kulesz served on the board of South Baltimore Little League, the only chartered Little League in Baltimore City, where he mentored young athletes and coached youth sports including t-ball and all-star teams, according to Daily Voice. The league, based at 1101 E. Fort Avenue in Locust Point, has been a chartered member of Little League International since 1957, per South Baltimore Little League. Kulesz also created the Sobo Club, giving talented players more opportunities while keeping them rooted in the local league, the station's report notes.
His sister-in-law, Jody Sutton Buck, said Kulesz coached hundreds of children, built baseball and basketball programs, volunteered, and created opportunities and memories for families throughout the area, per the same account. She described the family's circumstances plainly: South Baltimore has traditionally cared for its own, and she said the community should rally around the Kuleszes now.
A Record-Setting Era For South Baltimore Little League
Under Kulesz's leadership as co-coaching coordinator, South Baltimore Little League achieved a record-breaking 2024 season with more than 500 enrolled players and won four District 4 Baseball Championships in a single year — a first in the league's 67-year history, according to SouthBMore.com. Kulesz personally managed the 9-11 year-old district championship team that year, the outlet reported. The momentum continued into July, when the league captured five District 4 titles across baseball and softball while hosting state-level tournament games at its Locust Point complex, SouthBMore.com reported.
Kulesz also founded South Baltimore's local youth basketball league, according to Daily Voice. The outlet also reported that he volunteered his time.
A Family Rooted In South Baltimore Schools
Kulesz's wife, Wendy, teaches at Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School, a Pre-K through 8th grade public school ranked number one among Baltimore City elementary schools by U.S. News & World Report and recognized with Maryland's EGATE award, according to the Riverside Neighborhood Association. Jody Sutton Buck said Wendy has spent her career caring for and educating children.
Kulesz is unable to work for the foreseeable future and has no guarantee of returning to his job in the same capacity, per his family. He will need at least several weeks of inpatient rehabilitation, followed by extensive therapy and care at home, the family said. Doctors and loved ones expect the recovery could take months or years.
Community Response Moves Fast
Kulesz's sister-in-law created a GoFundMe fundraiser for his recovery that Daily Voice reported had raised more than $75,000 from hundreds of donors within three days of its launch. The GoFundMe campaign page showed $79,712 raised four days after it was created. The family says the funds raised will provide Kenny and Wendy financial breathing room during a difficult and uncertain time, as they face a financial burden from lost income, medical expenses, rehabilitation, ongoing therapy and future care. The family is also planning additional community fundraisers, including restaurant nights.
Jody Sutton Buck has asked people to donate, participate in the fundraisers, share the campaign, or simply keep the family in their thoughts. National data underscores why that support matters: strokes occur every 40 seconds in the United States and are a leading cause of long-term disability, reducing mobility in more than half of survivors aged 65 and older, according to the CDC.
For a man who spent years making sure South Baltimore's kids always had a team and a place to play, the coach now finds his own recovery resting on the same community he helped build.
