North Reading Little League is proud to announce that its Challenger Division has returned for the sixth straight spring, bringing the great game of baseball to youngsters with special needs.

Established in 1989 as a separate division of Little League, Challenger enables boys and girls with physical and intellectual challenges, ages 4-18 (or up to age 22 if still enrolled in high school), to join with the millions who play the sport. Today, more than 30,000 children participate in more than 900 Challenger Divisions worldwide.

Since its inception in 2014, the NRLL Challenger Division has flourished and this year includes nearly two dozen players from North Reading and four area communities. Coaches and volunteers – known as “buddies” – take a clinic-style approach that combines skills and drills, followed by modified games for the players. The emphasis is on fun and learning in a safe environment.

Sessions run Sundays from 9-10:30 a.m. at Benevento Park, with a “road game” or two mixed in against Challenger Divisions in surrounding towns. Last weekend, the North Reading High School baseball team helped instruct the Challenger players at Benevento.

This year’s schedule also includes a game at North Andover and the annual jamboree hosted by Weston Little League. The season concludes June 9 with a "trophies and treats" day back at Benevento. Helping make the NRLL Challenger Division possible are generous donations from Barletta Engineering and Braga Landscaping.

NRLL President Eddie Madden has seen the impact of the Challenger Division firsthand.

“Challenger is one of the best things we do as a league because of how it positively affects lives, and that goes beyond the players,” Madden said. “The volunteers, many of them Little League players or parents themselves, find it an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Those interested in learning more about the Challenger program, by either joining or supporting it, may contact NRLL Challenger Division director Chris Hanson at chrishanson2925@gmail.com or by calling (781) 439-9031.