Nearly 20 years ago, Buck Smith came across an article in Sports Illustrated that would change his life and connect hundreds of people around the baseball diamond. He read about Challenger Baseball, a Little League division established in 1989 that provides opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball.

After reading the article Smith sent out letters and placed some ads in newspapers to form a similar team in St. Louis. What began with a small St. Louis team of 15 players has now expanded to 54 teams and up to 700 registered players in Eastern Missouri and Western Illinois.

Challenger Baseball was established to connect people of different backgrounds and to provide the experience of America’s pastime sport to all children.

“[We] give these kids with a disability a chance to play baseball and we treat them no differently than a traditional team except for a couple of little things,” Smith said. “We don’t count outs, we don’t count runs, and everybody bats every inning. We’re not skill based at all, we’re all abut fun. And we’re all about the players having a good time.”

CHS senior Dawn Androphy has been volunteering with Challenger Baseball for several years.

“I heard about the organization and I played on various baseball and softball leagues when I was younger,” Androphy said. “I really enjoyed the experience of being on a team and I felt like I grew a lot from that and it teaches you how to work with others. I saw the organization as an opportunity to give that experience to other people that wouldn’t necessarily be able to be on another team.”

According to Smith the organization’s greatest priority is to make friends and to embrace differences.

“[The players] will get a chance to interact with people they may not get a chance to interact with in another situation,” Smith said. “Our players are great, they’re the nicest people and they have great senses of humor.”

Senior Ali Meyer volunteers with Challenger Baseball and holds a unique perspective on the organization. Her younger brother is a league member, which she believes has made her “extremely comfortable in situations/scenarios like Challenger Baseball that may seem a little intimidating at first for lots of people.”

She stressed the need for more buddies and the excitement of volunteering with the organization.

“I think the organization is important because it gives kids and adults with special needs the chance to play a sport and experience some normalcy that may have otherwise not been possible,” Meyer said. “Especially in an area like the St. Louis Special School District, where inclusion isn’t always stressed, I feel like it is also a chance for socialization for the players. The inclusion is really great for both the buddy volunteers and league members.”

Challenger Baseball has a strong community environment, with the families, players, and volunteers all coming together to play baseball. Baseball turned out to be the perfect sport. Not only is it America’s pastime sport, but it is an easily adaptable sport for all players.

“Baseball is a real sport that other kids are doing,” Androphy said. “It’s a nice opportunity for these kids to participate in something other kids are doing because anyone can do a craft at home, but I think for these kids it’s a way for them to have that experience they wouldn’t be able to otherwise have.”

Challenger Baseball gives the players an opportunity to switch roles, to be in the position where they are on center stage. According to Smith the experience helps both the players and the buddies gain self-esteem.

“[The buddies] feel better about themselves with their self-confidence and they can be the hero for a change,” Smith said. “They’ve gone to other traditional baseball games with their families and their friends and they see everybody cheer for the players on the field now it’s their turn to be cheered.”

The players are given the opportunity to play baseball, while the buddies are given the chance to brighten someone else’s day. Androphy cited this as her main reason for continuing her work with Challenger Baseball throughout the years.

“It’s a really good way of spending your time,” Androphy said.  “I think sometimes volunteer hours cannot be fun, but this is probably one of the most fun ways I’ve found to volunteer. You get to play around with someone and make their day better and it makes me feel good every time I do it.”

Not only is Challenger Baseball a great way to give back to the community and enrich someone’s day, but the games themselves can be quite competitive and exciting.

“The excitement and the smiles are honestly unmatched,” Meyer said. “The parents have just as much fun as the players. And quite frankly, don’t think the atmosphere isn’t competitive; Line drives to short stop, big hits to left field. The games are great, and the reactions from team members, parents and buddies is reason enough to go out and volunteer.”

The organization overall provides all the participants with a day to remember. The game of baseball is used to connect people from diverse backgrounds, enriching the lives of all those involved.

“What we get back never matches what we put in,” Smith said. “I think us out there playing Challenger baseball might even feel a little bit guilty because we get so much back from these players they are just so glad that we are there.”