Little League Challenger Division to Start Up

(Submitted by Kara Fleming)

The Little League Challenger Division is starting up this spring and registration is now open to Weston and surrounding towns without their own division.

The Challenger Division is an adaptive baseball program, which allows for communities to establish a structured athletic program for children with physical and mental challenges. Boys and girls, ages 5-18 (up to age 22 if enrolled in high school), can enjoy the game of baseball tailored to their abilities, and can benefit from the socialization of team sports.

Ann Delduchetto of Weston was a teacher and a coach for the Challenger Division where she lived in New York. She wanted to bring the program to Weston when she moved here since she knows first-hand what the program brings to the whole community. “This is a very special program which fits the needs of every child participating.”

In Challenger, everyone gets to play. Teams are made up of 15-20 players, and the same equipment and fields are used as the other little league divisions. Teams are established according to player-ability, rather than age, and the levels of play are tee-ball, coach-pitch or player-pitch. The games are only one or two innings, about one hour of play, and every child goes up to bat, each run is a homerun, and there are no scores.

Depending on the player’s ability, Buddies are used to assist the players. “The Buddy element is the most wonderful addition,” says Delduchetto, “This set-up allows the parents of the players to sit back, relax, and enjoy their children as they watch them play a game of baseball.”

Volunteer Buddies are trained in how to assist their player as necessary per their specific need and the players choose their Buddy. It is preferred that the Buddies make it to each game so that the players can have the same person for the whole season.

There are no other adaptive town sports programs in Weston. In order to obtain a Challenger charter with Little League International, a minimum of two games must be played in the season. “My hope is that a whole season’s worth of games can be played and that our division can eventually play other town divisions.”

“What I hope is that the Challenger Division takes off and the other community sports in town start offering adaptive programs,” says Kimberly Costello, of Weston who has registered her daughter. “The Challenger division allows my daughter the opportunity to be a part of a team. She wants to be with her peers. Meghan sees her brother and sister participating in activities and wants to play, too.”

Each Challenger player will receive a hat, team jersey, trophy, and a certificate of participation. Registration is open now for players and the cost is $35 per player. Opportunities are available for volunteer Buddies. The initial games are scheduled for May 14th and June 4th. To register to play, volunteer to be a Buddy, or request additional information, contact Ann Delduchetto, League Director, at challenger@westonbaseball.org.

Little League Challenger Division was started 22 years ago through Little League International. More than 30,000 children participate in nearly 1,000 Challenger Divisions in seven countries.

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For program information, contact Ann Delduchetto at challenger@westonbaseball.org