Challenger is a division of Little League Baseball for children ages 5-18 who have physical or mental conditions that prevent safe participation in other baseball programs. Play is structured to allow all players to be as involved as they are able. Traditional rules are modified and the focus is always on having fun while learning the game of baseball. No score is kept, each player bats every inning, and everyone plays the entire game. Each player is assigned a “buddy” who works with the Challenger athlete to ensure safety and success. A soft baseball is used for all games and practices.
All children who live within the Osceola county boundaries as well as some parts of Orange , Polk, and Lake counties are eligible to play in Celebration Little League’s Challenger Program. The season will begin in February 2007 and continue through mid-to-late April. Games will be held at the Celebration K-8 School Fields on Saturday mornings and will last approximately one and a half hours.
CLL’s Challenger program supplies a variety of bats for the players. There are also some gloves available for use during games, although many families prefer to purchase a glove so they can assure a good fit. No special shoes are necessary. A complete uniform is provided (Major League Baseball replica shirt, pants, socks, and hat).
All games are played on Field #1 at the Celebration K-8 School fields. Field #1 is the field located at the corner of Celebration Ave. and Starling (turn right immediately after 851 Celebration Ave. building into the gym parking lot).
Directions to the Celebration K-8 School Fields:
From US-192: Turn into Celebration at Celebration Avenue next to Water Tower Place . Follow Celebration Avenue all the way through town; four traffic lights and four stop signs. Turn right at the 851 Celebration Avenue Building into the parking area next to the gym. Field #1 is on the left after you turn into the parking area.
In most games, two full innings are played. All players bat each inning and play in the field. Game length is approximately 60-75 minutes.
Each team will have two practices before we begin the game schedule. These are planned to help the Challenger athletes become familiar with the procedures of hitting, throwing a ball, and running the bases. When the players arrive, they will be directed to one of these activities and introduced to an adult who will assist them. Buddies will be present for the practices. Feel free to stay close to your child until he or she feels comfortable. We will encourage you to share information with the adult coaches and buddies that will help them in assisting your child.
Play will begin promptly at the scheduled game time. We encourage you to arrive at the ballfields at least 20 minutes before the game to allow your child some transition and “warm-up” time. As soon as your family arrives, your child should enter the field area and check in with one of the coaches. If your child’s buddy is not present, a coach will assign another adult to assist him or her during warm-ups. The players will practice until they are called to the dugouts to begin play.
One of the goals of the Challenger program is to be as flexible as possible in order to make the experience a positive one for each player. Most of the athletes in the younger divisions hit the ball from a tee when batting; the majority of older players will attempt to hit pitches thrown by an adult. However, we try to accommodate to each child’s skill level and encourage players to bat in the way they feel most comfortable. All players bat every inning, so in the interest of time, we must limit the number of pitches thrown to a batter. If a player is not being successful, the umpire or coach will encourage him or her to hit from a tee. Players whose arm or hand strength prevents them from holding a bat will have assistance from their buddy.
We try to be very flexible and there is never pressure for your child to participate. We realize there are times when children are tired or upset and we want you to feel comfortable making the decision about your child’s level of participation. Please let your coach and buddy know how they can be helpful in these situations - when to be encouraging and when to give the Challenger athlete their space.
Cancellation announcements will be made in the following ways:
1. An email will be sent out to all families who included an email address on the registration form.
2. A notice will be posted on the front page of the CLL website at least one hour prior to game time: www.celebrationlittleleague.com
3. If the coaches have time they will call the cell phone number listed on the registration form.
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