How Challenged Youth Sports began...

Challenged Youth Sports began in 1990 in Lincroft, New Jersey as a recreational sports program for children with disabilities. The program is totally volunteer based, using caring adults and wonderful teenagers from our community. Our objective is to provide recreation for the children while fostering an environment for positive reinforcement through recreational sports. We are recognized as a 501-C-3 non-profit organization.

Our program began with 20 children in 1990 and now has more than 150 participants playing Soccer in the Fall, Basketball in the Winter, Tennis and Little League Softball in the Spring. Click here to see a recent Asbury Park Press article showing some of our players in action.

We've completed our first playground (click on Our 1st Accessible Playground tab on the left to see it) and now we are raising funds for our next one! These are fully accessible playgrounds for children of ALL abilities. A new playground is being planned for 2007. We hope to go out to bid in April with construction completing in October. The new playground is expected to be located at Seven Presidents Park in Long Branch, NJ. It is being built with the assistance of the wonderful people at the Monmouth County Parks System.

Challenged Youth Sports - Up to the Challenge

"This stinks."

When Paul Hooker was coaching a Little League team in 1990, he asked a little girl in a wheelchair how she was doing as she watched her brother's game. Her two-word answer, expressing her disappointment at not being able to play, resonated with Hooker. Soon after, he and his wife Margo started the Challenger Little League program in Middletown. They now also run Challenger soccer, basketball and tennis programs, with children from 20 towns participating. And in June of 2004, thanks to their tireless efforts, New Jersey's first playground accessible to children with disabilities was opened. Challenger Place playground in Monmouth County's Dorbrook Park, Colts Neck, is a dream come true for the Hookers. The seed for the park was planted in 2000 when a group of Middletown fourth-graders wrote letters to the Hookers' volunteer program, Challenged Youth Sports, asking that it work with Boundless Playgrounds, a Bloomfield, Conn., nonprofit that facilitates construction of playgrounds that allow children with and without disabilities to play together. With land and $500,000 donated by the county parks system, a $171,000 grant from the state and $200,000 raised through fund-raisers and private donations, the playground for children with all abilities has become a reality. The Hookers - and those who helped them bring more fun into the lives of children - deserve an ovation for their efforts to make sure things don't "stink". - Asbury Park Press, Friday, July 23, 2004

Tony's Place

On Saturday, November 7th at Seven President’s Park in Long Branch, NJ, we finally cut the ribbon on our 2nd Accessible Playground for children of ALL abilities, Tony’s Place. Tony’s Place is a universally accessible playground, integrated for enjoyment by children of all abilities. It provides meaningful, sensory-rich, and developmentally appropriate play opportunities. The Asbury Park Press printed an article in which Tony’s Place was featured.  Thanks to the Monmouth County Park Systems and so many generous people for making another dream a reality...

ICE SKATING PARTY - Every Challenged Youth Sports member (and parents too!) cannot wait until the next annual Challenged Youth Sports Ice Skating Party!  Held at the Red Bank Ice Armory Complex in Red Bank, owners Leslie and Doug Brooks generously donate ice time for our organization and local hockey players from the high schools volunteer to lend a hand.  If you'd like to see more photos of our last Ice Skating Party on the left sidebar please click on the Albums link.

VALENTINE'S DAY AND HALLOWEEN DANCE