Challenger Baseball is Jays Care's adaptive baseball program, run in partnership with Little League Canada and Baseball Canada, specifically designed to empower children, youth and adults living with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.
During the spring and summer months, volunteer coaches lead programs in communities throughout Canada, creating transformative sport and recreation opportunities where athletes can feel empowered to develop life skills, recognize their potential, and realize their dreams.
Athletes with disabilities involved in Challenger Baseball programs increase:
- Independence
- Self-esteem and self-awareness
- Relationships to peers
- Connection to positive role models
- Their courage to try new challenges
- Likelihood of living a physically active life
- Baseball & Physical Literacy skills
Did you know that, in 2023…
9,811 Children, youth and adults across Canada participated in Challenger Baseball programs
289 different Challenger Baseball programs ran in communities, schools, and community-based organizations
100% of Challenger Baseball athletes made a new friend through their local program.
FIND AN EXISTING LEAGUE TO JOIN AS AN ATHLETE OR VOLUNTEER
Thank you for your interest in joining Challenger Baseball! Athletes are the heart and volunteers are the backbone of every Challenger Baseball and we’re so excited to have you interested in joining the team!
- VOLUNTEERS: Challenger Baseball volunteers often report that this is one of the best experiences of their life. We hope you feel the same way. Some leagues have more than enough volunteers, while others are actively seeking additional volunteers to join their roster. Volunteers are expected to support the full season (approximately one practice per week for 8-10 weeks). Contact your local league today!
- ATHLETES & FAMILIES: We are thrilled you want to join our roster. Challenger Baseball is a wonderful place to be for athletes of all abilities. All leagues run on slightly different schedules by dedicated volunteers who will make every effort to bring you onto the team each season.
Your first step to joining a league is to see if there is an existing league near you. If you find one near you, click the league name and send a message directly to the League Coordinator letting them know that you want to join as a volunteer or as an athlete.
If you can’t find a league near you, consider starting a new league in your area. Jays Care will help you every step of the way!
INTERESTED IN LAUNCHING A NEW LEAGUE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
Children, youth and adults living with disabilities benefit dramatically from access to inclusive sport and recreation opportunities. By starting a new league, you can make a huge impact in your local community and the Jays Care team will be there to help you every step of the way.
While all new Challenger Baseball programs are required to register their interest by April 1 each year, we’re here to help you all year long. Your first step is to complete our New League Interest Form. From there, our team will set up a call with you to discuss the program in more details, your vision for your community, and the key steps to help you get started!
All Challenger Baseball leagues will receive…
- A specialized adaptive Blue Jays equipment or top-up kit to help get your program started and support your athletes,
- Access to annual funding, grants and supports to help maintain and grow your league and support your athletes each season,
- Exclusive Blue Jays opportunities to celebrate athletes, Coaches and Buddies in your league,
- Blue Jays t-shirts and hats for your coaches and athletes,
- best in-class training and manuals to help you build an incredible program,
- and so much more
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]. We can't wait to welcome you to our growing community!