Groups Step Up to the Plate to Give Children a Chance to Bat

By Debbie Messina, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

May 12–NORFOLK — This weekend’s inaugural Challenger Little League Baseball World Jamboree for disabled children won’t be the international event organizers anticipated, but it is still drawing about 100 teams from around the country.

Teams from California to Maine each are bringing nine to 15 players, plus coaches, families and buddies to help them play baseball at the Azalea Little League complex on Pineridge Road .

Norfolk’s Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that as many as 10,000 people will visit Hampton Roads from to day through Sunday for the event.

“It will have a significant economic impact because of the number of families involved,” said Donna Allen , the bureau’s vice president of sales.

Allen estimates about 3,000 people will stay in the city, about the equivalent of a large convention for Norfolk. The rest will be spread across the region.

“They’ll be staying in hotels, eating out and enjoying the city when they’re not playing,” Allen said.

Challenger baseball is Little League’s fastest-growing division. Started in 1989 , it places children with disabilities on teams based on ability, not age. Everybody wears uniforms and takes a turn at bat. No score is kept. Buddies are encouraged for on-the-field assistance with batting, moving around the base paths and throwing balls.

A regional “Fun Weekend” has been held here since 1992 and grew from 16 teams to 80 last year, thanks to the work of Jake Hardison , who runs Little League’s Virginia District 8, which includes Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.

With the help of Little League headquarters, Hardison expanded it this year to entice national and international teams. The event now is billed as a World Jamboree, the first for Little League Challenger Baseball.

“We’re fostering a broader understanding of what can be done in any neighborhood around the world for children with disabilities,” said Chris Downs , Little League Baseball spokesman in Williamsport, Pa .

Baseball representatives from Puerto Rico will be in town studying how to start challenger teams for children with disabilities, Hardison said.

The recent spike in gas prices has hurt participation, Hardison said. He had hoped for about 200 teams; about half that many are coming. Representatives of seven Canadian teams that cance led recently said the gas prices made the trip prohibitive.

Local Little League clubs, merchants and the city are treating participants to a picnic Saturday , a brunch Sunday , medals and free tours, including the Virginia Zoo, Norfolk Naval Station, the battleship Wisconsin and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

To prepare for the event, Norfolk pumped about $175,000 into the Azalea Little League complex, which is owned by the city and leased to the baseball organization. Two more fields were built, bringing the total to 13 . Bleachers and playground equipment were painted. Fences were replaced. The biggest expense was building two sets of handicapped accessible bathrooms in the clubhouse.

The Azalea baseball group also invested money and volunteer time. Contractor Lane Babb donated four months of his time building an addition on the clubhouse to compensate for the extra room the new bathrooms consumed.

James Marshall , Azalea Little League president, said volunteers get as much out of the tournament as the participants.

“It’s amazing to see what parents go through to bring their kids here to play for a weekend tournament, so this is the least we can do,” he said.

* Reach Debbie Messina at (757) 446-2588 or debbie.messina@pilotonline.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

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