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Inclusive baseball program gives Orangeville children with disabilities a place to belong

April 29, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Access to sports and recreation programs can be a challenge for children with disabilities — but a local baseball league is trying to change that.

The Orangeville and Headwaters Baseball Association is gearing up for another season of its 10-week Challenger Baseball program, open to youth 18 and under with physical or cognitive disabilities.

“We bring them all onto the field, everything from kids that are fully walking to children in wheelchairs, strollers, walkers… everything,” said Stephanie Coombes, the program’s coordinator and coach.

“The goal is to give these kids the vision of playing baseball and make their dreams come true, but also give the parents the breaks that they also need.”

As the parent of a young child with a disability, Coombes saw a lack of activities in town for them to enjoy. While her son currently plays in the Orangeville and Headwaters Baseball Association’s house league, she said he may not be able to keep up with older players in the future, making the Challenger program especially important for her family.

“I’m part of a big group of families here in town that also saw the same challenges — not enough summer sports for our kids, not enough summer activities, not even camp. We just needed something to get them out and keep them active,” Coombes explained.

For 2026, the 10-week program runs every Friday evening from June 5 to Aug. 21 at the ball diamonds in Orangeville’s Springbrook Park. Coombes said she’s hoping the program will grow following the success of its inaugural season.

“The first year went really well. We had a lot of kids who truly enjoyed coming back week after week. They showed up to the fields with the biggest of smiles,” Coombes told the Citizen.

And the participants weren’t the only ones sporting big grins.

Many parents have found the program to be a godsend for their children’s social connections and sense of belonging.

“It’s so nice to see my daughter playing with children who won’t judge her abilities or make comments about the way she walks or the way she talks. Nobody’s patting her on the head — everybody respects the boundaries and understands that everybody comes with their own abilities, and we’re here to do this together,” said the parent of a local participant.

The most rewarding part of running the program for Coombes has been watching the players grow and change over the season.

“We would start at the beginning of the year and they were shy, a little timid to get out there,” she said. “By the end of the season they had it down pat.”

To support accessibility, the Town of Orangeville constructed a crushed-stone path for children using walkers and wheelchairs. This year, the town will be paving a pathway to the dugout to further improve access.

As impactful as the program has been locally, Coombes stressed that it wouldn’t be possible without the work of supportive volunteers. She added that volunteering with the program can be a very rewarding experience.

“You become a friend, you become a cheerleader, and you become a reason that a child feels competent stepping out onto a field. Watching a player light up after hitting that ball or crossing home plate is exactly why we do what we do,” Coombes said.

“And truthfully, when they see their buddies show up to the field — because commitment is a really big piece of it — it’s like getting to school and seeing their teacher. Their faces light up and they’re so excited to be there and to have their person. It makes a huge impact.”

The program is run in partnership with the Jays Care Foundation, and local participants went to an All-Star Series at the Rogers Centre last year. There were morning and afternoon sessions for participants to enjoy activities out in the open field, training different skills.

Jays Care Foundation provides the foam bats, foam balls, gloves, and cones used to run the program, free of charge.

Coombes said the program ran with 11 players in 2025, and already has 13 registered for the 2026 season.

There are 124 Challenger Baseball Leagues across Canada, all run in partnership with the Jays Care Foundation.

The Jays Care Foundation offers up to $350 per child to help with registration fees for eligible families through its First Pitch Fund. Parents can apply online at  www.jayscare.com/first-pitch-fund.

Anyone interested in enrolling their child can register at playbaseball.ca and anyone over the age of 12 who is interested in volunteering can email Challengerbaseball@playbaseball.ca.

“We are so proud to bring Challenger Baseball and Softball to our community — and even prouder to help every child get the chance to play, belong, and shine,” said Coombes.

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