Challenger Baseball, a Division of Little League

If you’ve never heard of Challenger Baseball, you’re not alone.  However, the organization boasts over 30,000 players.  I hadn’t heard of it either, until my three boys brought home a flyer from school, inviting them to join the Canton league.  If you have differently-abled children, ask around and see if you have a league where you live.  Here’s the official Little League page on Challenger, which has a search function to find a league near you.

Challenger Baseball allows children up to age 25 of all ability levels to enjoy the Great American Pastime.  We have kids in wheelchairs, kids with autism, kids with Down Syndrome, kids who are deaf, and kids with behavior problems.  Last summer, we even played a team that included a child who was blind.  We make accommodations to fit each child’s abilities so they can play.  It’s coach-pitch, but if that’s too much for the child, they can hit off of a tee.  No one is out at 1st base, and everyone bats in each of the 2 innings we play, so everyone gets to get on base.  (In fact, with some kids, we let them go all the way around, even if they’re out!)  These kids get so much enjoyment out of the game, it’s impossible to not get involved.

So, we’ve become intensely involved over the years.  I am the league secretary, and this year, I’ve been put in charge of one of the fundraisers.  Now, don’t stop reading at the mention of a fundraiser!  This is actually a good one.  We’ve put together a cookbook featuring over 300 recipes from our players and their families.  And you can pre-order a copy for only $10 (plus $3.50 shipping in the U.S.  I’ll have to figure out how much it costs to ship overseas.).  The books will be available for shipping this summer.  If you’re interested, send me an e-mail at bphilley(at)ProBizAssoc.com.  (Remember to replace the (at) with a real @ sign.)

Thanks!

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