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Welcome to Alameda Little League! California District 4

Welcome to Alameda Little League! California District 4

Challenger Division Program


Alameda Little League is proud to announce that we are fielding a team in the Challenger Division for 2019. Little League International established the Challenger Division in 1989. The Challenger Division is for boys and girls with mental and physical challenges and more than 300,000 players participate in the Challenger Division worldwide. In the Bay Area, more than 35,000 youth with disabilities have difficulty accessing parks, fields, and team sports. This, coupled with the ever-growing community of those with disabilities commensurate with population growth, and the current rise in autism, led Alameda Little League to establish the Challenger Division for the 2015 season.

Little League International's California District 4 (Alameda Little League is a member) currently has 15 Challenger Division leagues with whom we may have inter-district games. The Alameda site is Estuary Park. A newer facility featuring easy access and a synthetic playfield.

Annual Challenger Jamboree

Help Needed For A Good Cause - Sunday, April 28th 

On Sunday, April 28th, District 4 will be holding its annual Challenger Baseball Jamboree.  This year, the Jamboree will feature 26 Challenger-division teams, including players who have mental, emotional, or physical challenges.  This year once again, the Jamboree will include games for "Senior Division Challenger" for older players, Majors Play in a competitive "real baseball" experience, and regular Challenger games. 

This is one of the largest Challenger Baseball Jamborees in all of Little League Baseball, most certainly in the Western Region, and will include teams from as far away as Nevada. 

Games will be held at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek starting at 9:00 am in the morning, with the event ending by 3:00.  The district is asking for our support in recruiting umpires.  An umpire's participation on the field in these fun and emotional games is a big addition to the event, and one the players will recognize and support.  

All you have to do is show up in your umpire uniform, go on the field, and be an active participant.  The key to Challenger Baseball is to HAVE FUN and that is what you will have.  No one will be questioning your calls and you will enjoy the day.  A typical Challenger game lasts only a few innings, and all players bat and play in the field.  The umpires in these games will take their normal positions, and will not be making the usual calls but will be part of the on-field support for the players.  Our Challenger teams really appreciate having fully uniformed umpires in their games, and it helps to "make it real" and adds to the fun. 

Umpires who work the Majors Challenger Games will be expected to actually umpire the game, applying most of the regular rules making out and safe calls, etc.

Umpires who plan to come for the first games at 9:00 am should arrive no later than 8:30 am.  There will be a "California District 4 Umpire Association" table where they should check in for assignment to their field.  Everyone is welcome - Junior Umpires, Adult Umpires, experienced umpires, new umpires, others who just want to help out with the day.  They usually also have game booths at the park that need someone to attend to them, for example.  All that is asked is that you come in uniform; we have plenty of blue umpire shirts in the back of the shed by the major and minor fields.  

This is also a good way for younger umpires to earn school volunteer service hours.  Come for part of the day or the whole day.  Lunch is provided to all volunteers.  The schedule (subject to change) is as follows:

9:00 - 10:30    Baseball games (fields 3,4,5,6)
10:30 - 10:45   Ceremony in plaza area by field 4 
11:00 - 1:00    Lunch
11:00 -12:30    Baseball games (fields 3,4,5,6)

12:30 - 2:00    Baseball games (fields 3,4,5,6)

If interested, please RSVP directly to our district umpire-in-chief, Don Waddell ([email protected]), with a cc: to me ([email protected]).

Thanks! 

Jim Quilici
ALL Director of Umpires

Challenger Division Sponsors



Alameda Challenger is proudly sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 400 and Carroll Construction. Both are long time sponsors of Alameda Little League. We thank you both for your sponsorship. Because of this sponsorship, we do not charge a registration fee for Challenger.






 

Challenger Division Schedule



Hi Families,

Below is the 2019 Challenger Home Schedule. Alameda Little League Majors teams will be "buddies" to the Challenger games in Alameda. The "buddy" team helps the Challenger players with their warm-ups and game play.


History in Alameda

3/12/2017 - First Games Played at Challenger Field
March 12, 2017 saw the first games played at Challenger Field and Estuary Park. It was a great day of comradery and good spirited fun enjoyed by all.

9/18/2016 -  Challenger Field Ground Breaking Ceremony
This past week city officials broke ground for Challenger Field, the first phase in the development of Estuary Park. Challenger Field will be a synthetically surfaced field which will become the home of Alameda Little League's Challenger program. The Challenger program originated in 1989 and enables boys and girls to enjoy the game of baseball. Alameda's Challenger completed its second season this year.

3/12/2016 - Announcing Challenger Division for 2016

Alameda Little Leauge is proud to announce that we are fielding a team in the Challenger Division for 2016. Little League International established the Challenger Division in 1989. The Challenger Division is for boys and girls with mental and physical challenges and more than 300,000 players participate in the Challenger Division worldwide. In the Bay Area, more than 35,000 youth with disabilities have difficulty accessing parks, fields, and team sports. This, coupled with the ever-growing community of those with disabilities commensurate with population growth, and the current rise in autism, led Alameda Little League to establish the Challenger Division for the 2015 season.

Little League International's California District 4 (Alameda Little League is a member) currently has 15 Challenger Division leagues with whom we may have inter-district games. The Alameda site will be Estuary Park once the synthetic field there is completed. In the meantime, games will be played at Kees (AA field). 



 
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