NPAR | 21
NPALL hosts annual
Challenger baseball game
Written by : Megan Hart NPAR Correspondent
North Port Area Little League will host its second-annual Challenger Game on Saturday , Feb . 18 as part of the league ’ s opening day festivities .
The Challenger Game will give children with special needs the opportunity to take the field and enjoy the game of baseball . NPALL coach and board member , Josh McCombs , came up with the idea for the event last year . He said the inaugural edition was a success .
“ I had tears in my eyes from just seeing some of the kids smile ,” he said .
The 2017 Challenger Game will take the same format as last year ’ s . Players will be split into two teams and each team will be led by high school players from either North Port or Imagine . McCombs said that last year ’ s game was well attended , and that it left an impact on the kids who played , as well as the NPALL players who were present .
“ Several of the kids on the team I coached showed up to help out , and you could tell they were definitely touched ,” he said . “ And the kids in the game learned how to hit and throw … and they learned that no one can stop them from playing sports .”
NPALL ’ s opening day events will take place at Atwater Community Park . The festivities will begin with an opening ceremony at 10 a . m ., followed directly by the Challenger Game . Over the course of the day , each team will take to the field , including last season ’ s champions for the 10 to 12 age group , the North Port Rays . They will face Venice Little League ’ s reigning champions , the Kiwanis , at 2:30 p . m .
NPALL serves over 350 kids in the North Port area . The organization ’ s vice president , Matt Mitchell , said that it could not run
without the support of the community . The Challenger Game is one way that NPALL is able to give back .
“ It ’ s something we can offer to the kids who don ’ t have the opportunity to play Little League ,” he said .
NPALL also hosts a fall season , and signups will take place later this year . Venice is home to a Challenger League that serves children with special needs . Visit its website for more information .