Challenger Kids Take The Field With ECU
April 30, 2007 | Baseball
April 30, 2007
Contributed By Brock Letchworth
The Daily Reflector
Sunday, April 29, 2007
More than 50 kids from the Challenger division of Greenville Little Leagues basked in the glory of an opportunity most kids will never have Saturday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Players from Challenger, a baseball league adapted for kids with special needs, took to the home field of the East Carolina University baseball team alongside Pirate players for an exhibition which pasted smiles on the faces of all involved.
"This is really special for all of these kids to play on this field, and to hear their names across the loudspeaker I'm sure," ECU pitcher Jason Neitz said. "It is truly a special day."
Kids from each of Challenger's eight teams batted through their lineups and ran the temporary bases placed along the basepaths at Clark-LeClair as Pirate players and coaches and a slew of other volunteers served as buddies who assisted the participants.
Pirate coach Billy Godwin stood behind home plate throughout, often assisting some of the players with their hitting or providing a high five when others crossed the plate.
"It's just really important for our kids to give back to the community and give back to people who are not as fortunate as we are," Godwin said. "This is such a great environment for these kids to come out and have an opportunity to do this today. It's about them, not about us today."
Challenger has seen its league nearly double in growth since its inception in 2005. There are currently just more than 70 kids involved with Challenger, which plays its games weekly at the Perkins Complex.
"The kids usually play on the Little League field, and that's great because they play with their peers," Harer said. "But this is even more exciting because they're playing with virtually professional baseball players.
"And for the parents it's really exciting too because they're seeing their kids out here with the ECU players who they read about or see on television all the time."
Harer, along with Kelly Tucker of local service provider agency A Small Miracle, Inc., played a large role in setting up Saturday's game. Tucker is the wife of former Pirate player Glenn Tucker, and he helped her coordinate the event with the team.
"It's really nice seeing them be able to get out because there is really not a lot for them to do in Greenville," Kelly Tucker said. "So something like this that gets them out for social interaction with their peers is a really good thing."
Challenger was established in 1989 as a separate division of Little League Baseball to enable boys and girls with physical and mental disabilities ages 5-18 to enjoy the sport. One of the benefits of Challenger is its encouragement of the use of buddies, who assist the Challenger players on the field -- a role the Pirates assumed Saturday.
"This is priceless," said Godwin, whose team lost to Southern Miss Friday's night. "If there was any sense of loss after last night's game, it's wiped all away. This is awesome, and it puts life into perspective. It's what life is all about, giving back."
