The Challenger League celebrated their opening day at Mulberry Park in Forney on Saturday, March 31, 2012, not with pomp and circumstance, but with the quiet knowledge that they were giving some special Forney kids a chance to play baseball. The Challenger League is a new division of the Forney Youth Baseball Association. FYBA President Bobby Bridges said, “This league is a separate division of Little League that enables school-aged boys and girls with physical or mental challenges, the opportunity to enjoy the great game of baseball amongst their peers.”
The Challenger League celebrated their opening day at Mulberry Park in Forney on Saturday, March 31, 2012, not with pomp and circumstance, but with the quiet knowledge that they were giving some special Forney kids a chance to play baseball. The Challenger League is a new division of the Forney Youth Baseball Association. FYBA President Bobby Bridges said, “This league is a separate division of Little League that enables school-aged boys and girls with physical or mental challenges, the opportunity to enjoy the great game of baseball amongst their peers.”
The players were teamed up with “buddies”, who were primarily older FYBA players. The “buddies” assisted each special needs child on the field and cheered them on enthusiastically. There are 22 registered Challenger League players, ages 3 years to 14 years-old, who will be playing ball every Saturday morning at 9 am at the park. Each Challenger player was decked out in a red uniform shirt and many of them were proudly sporting brand new baseball gloves. These incredible kids were glowing with pride as they took the field, but they weren't the only ones glowing. The parents and family members of these children were beaming with pride as well.
Most of the players used a tee to help them at bat and after hitting the ball, some of them decided that stopping at first base was not an option. There were a few home runs in this game and each one resulted in thunderous applause from the spectators. Some talented young players such as a young man with Down Syndrome named R.J., felt first base was a good place to stop. After R.J. tagged the base, he immediately made a right turn to the chain link fence to throw his arms in the air and yell to his parents, “I did it!” His family, including a brother who plays in the FYBA league, gave him a cheer and encouraged him to keep playing. R.J. displayed what was clearly recognizable as pure joy.
Another little guy, about three or four-years-old, made it halfway to first base before taking a seat. His dad picked him up and took him to the base, where the youngster promptly sat down again. There are probably some big league players who wish that was an option for them. A sweet young girl with an incredible smile hit the ball off the tee and sent it sailing to the deep parts of the infield. As she raced to first base, she was all business. With a look of accomplishment on her face, she began taking in as many high-fives as she could to celebrate the great hit. These types of joyous displays came throughout the game as players were given high-fives and plenty of hugs after reaching base. It was a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
FYBA President Bobby Bridges announced that the Forney Challenger League has been invited to participate in a Shriners Hospital For Children Baseball Classic Tournament in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, May 19, 2012. “The team will play against other Challenger teams from cities all over Texas. The games are to be played at the Baylor University baseball field and the players photos will be shown on the jumbo-tron with a big league announcer calling out their names and calling the plays.”
The tournament, just like the Challenger League, will be free for the players. Bridges said, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these children, but getting them to the tournament is a challenge. We are in the process of trying to secure a chartered bus that would be able to drive our Challenger players and their families to Waco and back.” That means that they are trying to raise the funds to make this happen. Bridges encourages any company that would like to help fund part of this trip or make a donation, to contact Cheryl Mason at fybaprdirector@gmail.com or on her cell phone at 214-662-1148. They will be happy to place a banner at the Mulberry Park ballpark as a thank you for your donation. Bridges also wants parents to know that they are still accepting new Challenger League players this season.