By Rachel Beck
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Thursday, June 4, 2009 12:00 am
Mary Arnold thinks Little League is great. Arnold, president of the Corvallis Little League, likes the organization so much, she wants every child - of any physical or mental ability - to have the opportunity to play.
Enter the Challenger Division.
The program, a subsidiary of Little League baseball and softball, is open to any special-needs child who can't play on a conventional team.
Currently, however, the closest teams to Corvallis are based in Salem and Eugene.
To give Corvallis parents and kids a taste of what the Challenger Division is like, Corvallis Little League will host Salem Challenger games at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Crystal Lake Sports Fields.
Arnold, a substitute teacher, is certain that a lot of Corvallis children would qualify for and benefit from the league, but the trip to Salem has so far discouraged potential Benton County players.
"It's hard for families," said Wendy Knodel, Challenger Division representative and a former coach. "It would be great to have something in their backyard."
Knodel said players and parents alike have fun in the division, in which everyone gets to bat, everyone is encouraging and no one keeps score.
Knodel's daughter, Kayla Hatch, 16, has been playing since she was 7.
"She loves it," Knodel said. "She starts talking about it the day after the season's over."
A volunteer corps of parents, coaches and "buddies" from conventional Little League teams help the Challenger players through the games. Nothing - not even walkers, wheelchairs or crutches - prevents the players from rounding the bases.
The Salem teams played at the Crystal Lake fields on May 16, partly to give Corvallis a taste of the division and partly because the Salem teams, who usually are last in line for field assignments, needed a place to play.
"When Wendy said they don't have fields, I said, 'Hey, we have fields, why don't you come down here?'" Arnold said.
The teams don't have practices, but play weekly games.
"Between Albany and Corvallis, we could probably have a team or two," Arnold said.
On May 16, Jonathan Gatti, 10, slid dramatically into home plate and then trotted over to his parents, David and Theresa Gatti.
Later Jonathan took the field and, for the first time ever, didn't bring his parents out with him.
"A lot of times we'll have our chairs out in center field and he'll be playing centerfield," David Gatti said as he watched from the sidelines. "This is great."
The Gattis have high praise for the Challenger program.
"I love all the people, the volunteers, the coaches," Theresa Gatti said.
Knodel thinks Corvallis families will share the sentiments.
"We would really encourage anybody who's working with special needs kids, families, to come out and watch the game and make a decision," she said.
For more information, see www.d7challengers.com or contact Knodel at wendy@d7challengers.com or 503-302-5349.