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Field of dreams nestled in Norgate

There are no nerves at Norgate Park, where home runs are always a guarantee. No one is benched and everyone has a buddy. No score is kept, but the smiles are plentiful. This is baseball without inhibitions.
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There are no nerves at Norgate Park, where home runs are always a guarantee.

No one is benched and everyone has a buddy. No score is kept, but the smiles are plentiful. This is baseball without inhibitions.

Nine-year-old Noah Griffiths can’t contain his energy as he tears across Norgate field and then comes in for a huddle with his buddy, Ben Harris. Noah is excited about heading into his sixth baseball season. 

“I think he just likes being physical and being part of a team,” says Noah’s dad, Geoff Griffiths. “He has a lot of fun and makes some friends.”

Located in the Marine Drive-Capilano corridor, Norgate is the home field for the North Shore Challenger Baseball Division, which is hosted by Highlands Little League.

Players aged five through 18 with physical or cognitive disabilities have a jersey and glove waiting for them at the field, at no cost to the family.

Able-bodied “buddies” are assigned to each participant and they work together on the field and at the plate.

Pushing wheelchairs around the base path, assisting players in how to hold the bat and swing, or providing protection from a batted ball, are just a few of the ways the buddies lend a hand.

“Ben’s awesome,” says a smiling Noah of his buddy.

“We have a lot of fun,” adds Ben, a Grade 9 student at Saint Thomas Aquinas.

It was Ben’s older brother, Andrew Harris, who got him involved in Challenger baseball, along with their sister Laura. All three siblings volunteer every Saturday morning from April to mid-June, when the Challenger season runs.

“To be honest I actually look forward to it, because it’s so much fun and the kids have such a great time,” says Ben.

Andrew agrees and points out the invaluable experience that Challenger baseball offers.

“Playing sports are a lot of fun and you wouldn’t want anyone to miss their chance for any given reason,” says Andrew, who is going into his 10th season as a Challenger volunteer.

Fellow longtime volunteer Kelsey Hilliard is a buddy co-ordinator. She grew up playing softball and other sports and is simply grateful.

“I was so fortunate that my parents were able to sit in the stands and watch me play,” says Hilliard.

She explains how some kids with disabilities might not get that opportunity. Challenger creates that chance for parents to cheer on their kids for the first time in an organized sport.

“We get a full grandstand every time. Every kid gets a round of applause,” says Hilliard, who is gearing up for the Challenger season opener on Saturday.

The North Vancouver City Fire Department will show up and put on a barbecue for the kids. Proud parents will take a seat in the stands while their kid rushes to the other side of the fence. 

Each team is set up in their own dugout. One squad will take the field with their buddies alongside them, while the others prepare to bat. Some players hit off a tee, others use a pitcher.

“They have as many times to hit the ball as it takes. We never have any outs,” explains Hilliard.

After the player connects with the ball they run to first base and jump on the bag, which lets out a celebratory horn sound.

Everyone advance through the bases until the very last player on the team reaches home.

There are almost 90 kids in the North Shore Challenger program, with a rolling intake throughout the season for anyone who wants to show up and play. There are just as many volunteers.

“We will never turn anyone away,” says Hilliard. “We have players that are five, we have players that are 22.”

An adult Challenger league was started in the Seymour area at Myrtle Park last year.

Meanwhile, a highlight of the youth Challenger season is travelling to UBC to play the men’s baseball team. The kids pair up with the uniformed university players for a game on the big “fancy” field.

“They could be like celebrities,” says Hilliard. “The kids absolutely adore that day.”

As she counts down the hours to opening day, Hilliard and another Challenger buddy co-coordinator carefully create their matches. 

“We love to keep the kids paired up with the buddies they have had in years past, because they develop relationships – like Ben and Noah – and it’s hard to separate them when they have become really great friends,” says Hilliard.

For more information on the North Shore Challenger baseball program contact co-ordinator Tony Makowsky at coordinator@nschallenger.org.