A CHANCE TO PLAY
Little League group allows disabled kids to experience thrills of baseball
CHRIS HAGAN
Statesman Journal
May 7, 2007
Six-year-old Kayla Bolnick stepped up to the plate. She got her pink bat, pink helmet and pink jacket arranged and her coaches steadied her in the left-handed batters box.
"OK, get your brake set," coach Gary Mulhern said from the pitcher's mound. Kayla reached down and double checked the brake on her wheelchair. Everything was set.
Kayla plays for the District 7 Challenger Little League. The league provides a program so "disabled" players in the Salem who are unable to participate on conventional Little League teams get a chance to play.
"Everybody's entitled to social activity, just like academics -- teamwork, learning the sport, friendships, the whole nine yards," said Randy Kellogg, whose son Brandon, 15, plays and whose wife Lisa Kellogg coaches. Challenger Division started as an extension of the national Little League in 1989. The Salem area started its program in 1990.
The game differs a bit from standard Little League. Teams generally play two innings and bat around each time. There are no outs and no one keeps score. Players range from age 5 to 21.
"It gives them self esteem and shows them they can do it like their other siblings." league
representative Wendy Knodel said. "It's to get outside, have fun, get some exercise and fresh air, and hang out with other kids that play baseball."
Knodel's 14-year-old daughter Kayla Hatch, 14, has Down syndrome. Kayla's been playing since she was 8, and she looks forward to the season every year.
"About Christmas time every year, it's 'Is baseball starting?' " Knodel said.
This season the league has four teams: the Angels, Diamondbacks, Mariners and Rockies. Each team has about 10 players. South Salem Little League President Mike Spidel worked out a deal so the Challenger league can use the Leslie Middle School fields on Tuesday and Saturday afternoons.
The league accepts players with nearly any type of "disability" - physical and/or mental challenges of all degrees.
Robin VanWinkle coaches the Mariners. She has worked with deaf and hard-of-hearing childrenin the Salem-Keizer school district for 23 years.
"Any kids that sign up hard of hearing are on my team," VanWinkle said.
First up for the Mariners on this day is Raven Gesch, 18.
"I like the batting," Raven signed to VanWinkle. "I like being on the same team with my friend Sarah."
When VanWinkle signed back, "What else do you like about baseball?"Gesch decided a long answer was coming and put her glove between her knees. "Do I remember last year?" VanWinkle said after Gesch signed. "What about last year? Everybody won last year? I remember that.
"Do you like playing?" VanWinkle signed. Gesch started smiling and signing quicker.
"Mom's excited when we play," Gesch signed.
With no score and no outs, everybody wins every time. Each swing of the bat is greeted with applause. Even players on opposing teams congratulate each other as they round the bases." Before "Challengers," there wasn't the opportunity to play Little League and here they are playing with their brothers, sisters, friends," Knodel said. "It really boosts their self-esteem."
The league can be difficult for the parents at times. "It was very challenging and fun at the same time," said Knodel, who coached before running the league. "You have kids in wheelchairs who are mentally OK and you've got those with severe autism or cerebral palsy. You just have to take each situation as it comes.
"But it's really fun though when you can get them all situated and you see the light in their eyes when you say 'OK, it's time to get your batting helmet on,' and they all get their helmet on and they all sit down."
The biggest challenge for the league has been getting the word out. Lisa Kellogg hadn't heard of the league until six years ago, when she tried to sign her son, Brandon, up for the standard Little League. "I just wanted him to have a chance to play because he loves to play baseball," she said.
Now she copies the league entry forms and hands them out at Brandon's special needs classes. "Word of mouth and sharing information -- it's the only way to advertise, because there's just not a lot of funding," Kellogg said. The league doesn't require families pay to participate and recruits sponsors and donations to help offset the cost of the program. The league often involves the kids in fundraising, like selling pepperoni sticks -- much like their friends who play on conventional teams!
One of the barriers to kids participating has been parents themselves, Knodel said.
"A lot of parents think, 'My kid has special needs. They're in a wheelchair or they're in a walker. How will they get to first base?' " Knodel said. "I recommend they come out to a game and just watch."
chagan@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6702
* Challenger Division 
