Challenger League Lifting Kids Up to Their Potential One Game at a Time
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
“We rise by lifting others.” That is a saying I am sure we have all heard at one point in our lives. What does that mean? Sometimes, the simplest way to lift others is just by making sure they feel loved and are included. That is exactly what one local youth sports program aims to do.
The Challenger League program is designed to provide a safe, controlled environment for children to be able to experience the joy and camaraderie of playing a sport and is inclusive of children with various diagnoses including but not limited to ADD/ADHD, Down Syndrome, Autism and so much more. Every child should have the opportunity to experience what it feels like to sink that first basket on the court, hear the pop of a ball flying off of a bat, or run home and hear your teammates and family cheer for you.
Amy McGuire, the Director of Special Education with Russell Independent Schools, started the Challenger League Program. Through her passion for working with these kids, she organized a partnership with the Russell-Flatwoods Little League to start a baseball team in 2016. In 2017, she partnered with the high school basketball team at Russell, so kids had something to do in the winter months.
The Challenger League was inspired by none other than the children themselves. Taylor Stumbo, one of the coaches with the Challenger League, shared in a previous interview, “The inspiration is derived from the kids themselves to allow them the same joys other kids find in team sports. This is a place where the kids as well as the parents are just happy to have their child healthy and experience the joys of having a crowd cheer them on. It is set up in a way to hopefully be peer-driven, so the entire community reaps the benefits.”
Programs such as the Challenger League not only provide an opportunity to make lifetime memories for these kids and their families but for the volunteers and fans as well. Plus, being peer-driven with their classmates, allows for more inclusion to form relationships outside of a school setting. These kids are no different from anyone else; they just happen to have something that makes them much more special. The best thing anyone can do is to go out and support them. The memories that are built from this league will stay with these children for the rest of their lives.
With the Challenger League’s basketball season ending, it’s time to get ready for America’s favorite pastime…baseball!!! Organizers of the Challenger League are all eagerly excited to announce that registration is open for the upcoming Challenger League 2024 Baseball season!
All games will be played at 263 W Central Ave. in Ashland. The Ashland Little League fields are located right behind River Hill Walmart. All games will be played in the evening with the opportunity to play under the lights on some Saturdays.
Sign-ups for the upcoming baseball season are going on now and will end March 3. Enrollment has been made simple by using the QR code to access the official Google enrollment form. You can also text Coach Taylor Stumbo at 606.232.7132 if you have any questions or concerns.
Please help spread the word about this wonderful program. Enroll your child today and become part of the Challenger family. Stumbo shared, “Let’s embrace diversity, foster inclusivity and celebrate every child’s potential.”
