(Shauna Giesbrecht)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

a chance to have fun

Red Deer Minor Baseball launches Challenger program

Jun 30, 2022 | 11:51 AM

Renae Clark, general manager of Red Deer Minor Baseball Association (RDMBA), says nights one and two of the their new Challenger Baseball program was emotionally rewarding and overwhelming.

Challenger Baseball is an adaptive sport program, run in partnership with Little League Canada and Baseball Canada, in communities across the country.

The two-month program which started recently is designed to empower youth and adults, or in Red Deer’s case, those aged 5-18, with physical and cognitive disabilities.

(Shauna Giesbrecht)

“I believe in inclusion and that there should be a form of sports, baseball in this instance, for everyone,” says Clark. “Everyone should be able to participate at the level they are able to do so.”

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Red Deer has 26 kids registered, with play nights happening each Monday at Great Chief Park.

Players are assisted by the association’s 15U and 18U AA and AAA teams, with one-to-one mentorship.

“For us watching our program on night one, to say it was the most amazing thing we’ve been a part of is an understatement,” says Clark. “As for our volunteers — the 18U AAA Jules Oilfield Braves and 15U AA Silver Fox Braves — the encouragement and support those teams showed made for an extremely proud moment.”

(Shauna Giesbrecht)

There is zero cost to athletes and their families, with Jays Care supplying all equipment. Field costs and additional operational expenses covered by Vesta Energy.

Red Deer had an adaptive baseball program for one year in 2016, run by the municipality at Oriole Park Elementary. It had to take a hiatus, and then RDMBA hoped to launch Challenger in 2019, but COVID halted that objective.

While registration is closed for the year, anyone interested in stopping by Great Chief Park’s Fastball 1 diamond from about 6-7 on Monday is welcome to, through July 25, Clark says.

“The inclusion aspect of this was huge for us, and it’s been by far the most rewarding experience I’ve had as general manager to-date.”