Sports

Challengers Baseball wraps up season with final game at Springbrook Field

August 13, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Chris Perrotte

The Challenger Baseball Club walked out onto the diamond for their final practice and game of the season on Friday, Aug. 7. For the children with disabilities who participate, playing the game they love made for a special season.

“It meant a lot, I loved hanging out with other people like me that have disabilities, and it was really fun,” said nine-year-old Hana Hill, who played her second year with the local club.

For 10 weeks following June 5, on Friday evenings, the Orangeville Bengal’s Challengers squad would gather together at the Springbrook Field in Orangeville to learn skills that would help them become better baseball players.

Robert Jeffrey, a volunteer with the Challengers who plays wheelchair softball, leads by example in encouraging the kids during practice.

“I come to play in my wheelchair to show them that it’s okay to use devices. You can still have fun and it should not be limited to your device or limited to whatever and however you want to participate,” he explained.

With family and friends in the bleachers watching and supporting, the kids had a game against the adults to wrap up the season. The young Challengers went to bat first and often. Let’s just say the adults never got a chance to bat and didn’t care if they did. They were too busy cheering on the kids as they hit the ball and ran the bases.

High fives and way-to-gos were often heard throughout the game from the adults. Sometimes the coach would yell “heavy hitter” as some of the stronger children came up to bat.

The final score wasn’t important, as the true goal of the game, every time they come together, is about having fun. Bruce Irwin, the grandfather of Nicholas Rehkoph-Irwin, who plays with the club, has seen how much being part of the Challengers has affected his grandson positively.

”He wants to come and he wants to play and every week he gets better,” Irwin said.

He added that the Blue Jays Foundation, which helps fund the program, has had a very positive impact.

“They gave them an experience at the [Sky] Dome that was outstanding for them. They just don’t get a chance to have that sort of thing. They got to run the field. It was a great experience for them,” Irwin said.

The Challenger Baseball Program partners with the Jays Care Foundation to help make these young athletes’ dreams come true. Like the opportunity for the Challengers to watch the Jays at the Rogers Centre earlier this year in the Jays Care Luxury Suite called the Jays Care Community Clubhouse.

The Challengers are a division of the Orangeville and Headwaters Minor Baseball Association.

After the final game, everyone gathered around the pitcher’s mound as Stephanie Coombes, Challenger Baseball coordinator and coach, thanked them for their support and participation this season.

With the help of Josh Cabral, vice-president of the house league for Orangeville Bengals, she handed out medals, baseball caps and other goodies.

“The season overall was absolutely amazing with our 15 players and all the parents and volunteers that came out,” Coombes said. “I don’t think we could have had a better season. Year two was even better than year one, and I look forward to making it even better going forward.”

Any parents who are thinking about signing up their child next year to be a part of the Challengers Baseball Club, player Hana Hill said, “It is really fun and I personally feel like it’s nice to play with other kids like me.”  

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