Challenger Division
The Challenger Division was established in 1989 as a separate division of Little League to enable boys and girls with special needs, ages 4-18, or up to age 22 if still enrolled in high school, to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide. Today more than 30,000 children participate in more than 900 Challenger Divisions worldwide.
More than the skills of baseball learned through the experience, the value of the Little League Challenger Division is found in the proven therapeutic and socialization benefits of participating in sports, the strengthening of participants’ self-esteem, the opportunities to mainstream into other divisions of play, and the disciplines of teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play, which are hallmarks of the Little League program.
The Little League Challenger Division provides the framework so Little League programs may offer a structured, athletic activity for all youth in their communities. Playing with the same equipment on the same fields, Challenger Division participants have the opportunity to experience the joys of pulling together as a team, being cheered, and earning awards for their achievements.
In a Challenger game, each player gets a chance at bat. The side is retired when the offense has batted through the roster, or when a pre-determined number of runs have been scored, or when three outs are recorded. Little League recommends that no score be kept during Challenger games. The Challenger players wear the same uniforms, shoulder patches and safety equipment as other Little League players.
Teams are set up according to abilities, rather than age, and can include as many as 15-20 players. Challenger games can be played as t-ball games, coach pitch, player pitch, or a combination of the three.
One of the benefits of having a Challenger Division is that it encourages the use of "buddies" for the Challenger players. The buddies assist the Challenger players on the field but whenever possible, encourage the players to bat and make plays themselves. However, the buddy is always nearby to help when needed.
District 14 has teams in Centerville National, Mission San Jose, Newark American, Newark National and Niles-Centerville.
Our goal is have at least one team in each of our eight leagues so we can bring baseball to the entire Fremont and Newark communities so please come see us play and spread the word about Challenger Baseball.
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2012 DISTRICT 14 CHALLENGER BASEBALL PROGRAM
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For more information please contact:
Rick Carrabello, District 14 Challenger Coordinator @ 510-381-2949
E-mail: r8durz@pacbell.net
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Following the trend of Little Leagues across the country, MSJLL will use a continuous batting order through Juniors in 2008. Employing a continuous order – which means, quite simply, that every player who shows up for a game is in the batting lineup – is the No. 1 change leagues are implementing to combat declining enrollments.
The MSJLL move comes with the full endorsement of the Western Region Little League. According to Brent Stahlnecker, assistant director of the Western Region, “A continuous batting order not only gives kids the one experience they identify most with playing Little League – swinging a bat – it also encourages managers and coaches to develop every player on their team.”
Confronted with a decline in participation that is being seen nationwide, MSJLL’s new competition committee has been researching what other leagues are doing to retain and attract players. Many ideas were investigated, but the one that most frequently came up was the move to a continuous batting order. One of the perennial Western Region powerhouses, Tracy Little League, Section 3 Champions in two of the last three years, currently uses continuous batting order in Majors and Juniors. The expectation is that as less skilled players receive more at-bats and more instruction, their skills will improve, along with their enthusiasm for the game. It makes it more likely they’ll work harder as their success is rewarded, and it should bring up the quality of play across the league. One interesting side benefit is that continuous batting gives the managers the flexibility to substitute freely, allowing them more options with defensive lineups.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Andrew Hancock or any of the board members listed at the MSJLL Board link.
