League’s a Smash Hit : Through the Challenger Baseball Division, Disabled Children Have Discovered Their Own Field of Dreams

You see it on players’ faces at every level of baseball: elation as a single pierces the infield and drives in the tie-breaking run.

Now you can see it on the faces of children who until recently got no closer to a game than the bleachers.

The Challenger Division, a part of Little League baseball devoted to children with physical and mental disabilities, was introduced in 1989 and since then has expanded internationally to 679 leagues and 25,000 players. In Orange County alone, 26 Challenger programs have blossomed from La Habra to San Clemente.

To reduce injuries, a softer baseball is used. Adult or teen-age “buddies” help each player in the field and at bat. Outs are not counted; innings end when each team member has come to bat.

Gail Cecconi’s 15-year-old son Neal is a member of the Dodgers in the league in Huntington Beach, “and he just loves it,” she says.

“It’s a wonderful program. It gives the children an opportunity to play a team sport. A lot of children, because they can’t be competitive, couldn’t experience the game of baseball if it weren’t for this program.”