CHERRY HILL, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A team of baseball players with disabilities from Cherry Hill is playing in front of a big crowd this weekend as part of a regional Little League tournament.
Teams and families from all around the region are gathering in Freehold, New Jersey this weekend for the tournament, and players from Cherry Hill’s Challenger League will play an exhibition to showcase their skills.
Team director Steve Silverman said he hopes other parents and coaches see the value of Challenger League baseball and start more teams for people with disabilities.
“[This is a chance to] expose them to what Challenger baseball is all about,” he said. “[This] may be a chance for [other communities] to learn about it and bring it into their community.”
Challenger baseball is designed to help kids and young adults with disabilities participate. Their league accommodates players ages 4 to 25, regardless of where they reside.
Despite being non-competitive in nature, Silverman said they try their best and love to perform.
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“The kids, they know on a Sunday morning during the season, they wake up and some of them sleep in their uniform or they will wake up and put on their uniform right away,” he said. “It becomes a huge part of their life.”
There are currently over 950 Challenger programs in 10 countries around the world. Over 30,000 athletes participate in the Challenger Division every year.
Silverman said the best part of the tournament is seeing kids fall in love with the sport and develop their skills.
“Watching these kids grow has been unbelievable,” he said.
Freehold will host Little League Challenger games until Aug. 10.