Stories

An All-American Team

When Carole-Ann Baer saw a TV program about a Virginia baseball team for kids with disabilities, she realized some youngsters were missing out on the team experience.

“Baseball is a huge part of children’s lives in Sudbury (MA). I thought. we needed to do some thing about it.” She approached the town fathers and the Sudbury Little League and kicked off Challenger Baseball.

Today an average of 34 youngsters with challenges meet at Upper Featherland Field on Sunday afternoons in the spring, some traveling as far as 30 miles to enjoy the great American pastime. It’s a source of fun, friends and physical fitness.

Legions of volunteers set up tees, pitch balls and push wheelchairs around the bases; they also operate a concession stand to feed the parents and siblings, who root for all the players.

The youngest player is 6, the oldest nearly16; two kids are in wheelchairs. No one is allowed to strike out — everybody hits. Some coaches are special educators, who modify the game to suit the child’s ability

“The kids’ sense of pride is so pure. When you see their faces, its just beyond words,” said Carole-Ann, a dance teacher who once studied to be a special educator. “In our first season we couldn’t get through a game without someone crying we were all so overwhelmed with the beauty of it. They can be just like all the other kids.”

Carole-Ann found her inspiration in childhood when her mother cared for foster children in their home. “Children don’t choose the situation they come into,” she said. “I want to make a difference in a child’s life.”

For more information about Sudbury Challenger Baseball follow the prompts at www.sudburybaseball.com or email caroleannbaer@comcast.net

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