Up for the challenge
Little League Baseball, Inc.-sponsored D-IV Challenger Division gives local youngsters their time to shine on the diamond.
CUMBERLAND – Because Lincoln’s finest had manufactured quite the lead in the top of the first inning, then tacked on a few more runs in the second, J.T. Snodgrass strolled to the plate at Garvin Field with a vengeance in the back half of the frame.
After all, he’s a Cumberland kid who doesn’t like to lose. He knows all about the rivalry between the two towns, and would NOT be denied.
Following a couple of “feel-him-out” pitches, Snodgrass ripped a hard grounder to short and beat it out for a hit. Teammate Hope Fitzgerald followed suit with another infield single, and 12-year-old Jonathan Leddy knocked what looked like a foul ball down the third-base stripe, though it was ruled a hit.
The bags loaded, Connor Lizotte – call him the wily veteran of the Cumberland lineup – then wheeled up to the left-handed batter’s box. Bothered little by the tense situation, the 17-year-old CHS junior eyed each pitch carefully, and – when he saw one he liked – jacked a single down the right-field line to plate both Snodgrass and Fitzgerald.
Talk about all-around elation.
“I hit the ball with power, and I scored!” Snodgrass exclaimed afterward. “It feels so great!”
Offered Lizotte: “We’re an awesome team! J.T. and I are good buddies, so it makes me feel happy and excited I could drive him in.”
He then added to no one in particular: “Look at me! I’m doing what every other kid loves to do!”
In actuality, Lizotte was speaking not only for all of his teammates, but the Lincoln players as well.
Welcome to the Little League Baseball, Inc.-sponsored District IV Challenger Division, where children/teens with assorted developmental disabilities/challenges get the chance to swing the bat, hit, catch a ball and make a tag like anyone else does.
Still, there was a twist to this clash; that much was obvious from the start. Cumberland usually hosts district opponents such as Smithfield, Glocester or Lincoln, at the Cumberland Hill School fields early on Sunday afternoons. Cumberland Challenger Division Commissioner Amy Lacroix, though, decided not long ago to conduct a special, first-ever “Under the Lights” contest against Lincoln at the town’s Little League home.
That occurred on Sunday evening, May 6, and the response from everyone who wanted to share their opinions went something like this:
“It’s freakin’ awesome,” said Cumberland head coach/part-time pitcher Mike Lizotte, wearing a grin as wide as the mound. “Amy decided a while ago that it’d be nice to have a night game rather than playing on Sunday afternoon; she wanted to mix it up, thought it would be neat to give the kids the chance to play under the lights.
“There are a lot of people out there who don’t know we’re here doing this,” he added. “This means EVERYTHING to these kids. They just want to play baseball, and this gives them that chance.”
At that point, his son Connor, who had been listening, interrupted him.
“We’re like the Red Sox!” he exclaimed. Given the emotion surrounding these “games,” even the Red Sox would be impressed – and touched. Seeing what occurs at these events brought tears to the eyes of even the strongest, most stoic men and women.
“Challenger has been around for quite some time,” Lacroix said while setting up the field prior to Game Time. “Scott Schmidt started it here about seven-eight years ago; he’s the one who reached out to the town and told (officials) we’d like to have a league, or even a team. The original coach (Traves Ogilvie) is still with us, too.
“The kids range in age (on our team) from between five and 18, and we have a range of disabilities,” she continued. “We have several kids with Autism/ASD, Down Syndrome, CP (cerebral palsy), etc. I got involved a few years ago as a (Cumberland Youth Baseball/Softball League) board member and volunteer, and it’s one of the best parts of my spring. The kids are great; I just love this!”
According to Lacroix, the rules (or lack of them) is what provides the most fun.
“We’re very laid-back in the Challenger Division,” she laughed. “Every game usually lasts two innings, and we don’t keep score. One team goes through their entire batting order, regardless of the number of outs and runs, then we switch; thus the reason for two innings. They can take a while to bat through.
“Kids also play with a buddy; we partner with local teenagers to act as buddies for our players. Most of the players have one-on-one support from their peers, and it’s a fantastic experience for both the players and the volunteers.
“My kids (including Ranae, 17, and Mikel, 13) love coming to help. These players, they have the most fun. This is a dream to them, and to the parents, family members and fans who watch.”
Lacroix has another dream, one that could drastically change the Challenger setup, though it may be far-fetched right now.
“Last year at some point, I asked the coaches and parents, ‘If you could do anything with this program, what would it be? The sky’s the limit,’” she stated. “I actually received a video of a fully-accessible field with (artificial) turf and rubber base paths, including a sound system. Call it a mini ballpark.
“I was blown away at how great it was. We thought, ‘Let’s give it a try!’ One of the challenges we face on a traditional field is mobility – if the grass or dirt is soft, it can be tough for (those in) wheelchairs or (with) walking aids. Challenger (baseball) and other adaptive sports don’t currently have a ‘place of their own,’ and I hope to change that!
“My vision is that we can share a brand new turf facility with other adaptive sports programs, and the schools as well. What we’d like to do is build a completely adaptive field. A perfect example is Connor, who’s in a power wheelchair; obviously, that can get pretty heavy (on wet grass or dirt), and it could sink. The same goes for kids using canes.
“Those kids would get more consistency on the surface they’re playing on (if it was Field Turf).”
Lacroix indicated her staff and coaches would like eventually to construct such a ballyard at its current home, Cumberland Hill School. She’s already spoken with Cumberland High Athletic Director Matt Campanelli about the idea, noting it could be a spark plug for Unified Softball on the interscholastic level.
“Coach Camp” agreed, as did town Parks & Recreation Director Mike Crawley, who indicated he’s behind the notion “110 percent.
“I haven’t really looked into the cost (of such turf), but I got prices on our high school football field at Tucker (when it was constructed) five years ago,” he stated. “The people I spoke to threw some numbers at me regarding an all-turf baseball field, too.
“What we’re looking to do is try to attain sponsorships or receive grants through Little League Baseball” (or other philanthropist organizations/individuals) to fund such a project. “We’re looking for anyone who wants to donate to this great cause. Obviously, it’s a dream, but I think – with the dedicated people we have involved – we can pull this off.
“There’s got to be someone or some people out there who want to give back to these kids and all the volunteers,” he added. “This is getting really big now – that is, programs for special needs. Soccer has a terrific program in town, and the high school has two Unified teams with basketball and volleyball.
“Hopefully, at the end of the year, we can start planning for an all-turf field. The worst case scenario? Either way, we’re going to schedule more work for the Cumberland Hill site so it’s more accessible for the kids who are going to play on it.”
Crawley then surveyed the Garvin diamond, smiled and pointed, “Look at all the kids out there having a blast. This is such a great thing for them; they must look forward to it all week long. I saw the Lincoln kids talking to the Cumberland players, and they’re all friends (because) they know each other from other programs.”
He hesitated, then said, “The town is going to do anything and everything possible to make this dream come true.”
It was so easy to see why for anyone who witnessed these scenes:
– At the beginning of the contest, Lincoln High senior Zach Zito knocked a hit off of “designated pitcher” Paul Rampone, but he was not content with a mere single and standing at first. Instead, the wily veteran ignored all instructions and raced around the bases for a home run. (Yes, there may have been an error or two, but they don’t count in Challenger).
Volunteer helper Dave Belisle – call him a volunteer catcher/cheerleader – gave Zito a “high-five” upon approach to the plate, and Zito grinned ear-to-ear.
“That felt so great!” he said. Also a representative of the Lions’ varsity swim team, Zito was asked which he prefers, swimming a 100yard freestyle or bashing an infield homer. Naturally, he responded, “I like swimming and baseball. I’m happy with both!”
– Lincoln teammate Derek Lemay, now 21, followed Zito in the batting order and smoked a double before scoring, despite a mild limp. He then conveyed this message to the people in charge of this program: “I like hitting and getting on base, and I love running around them, even though it takes a lot of energy out of me.”
When told he and Zito were doing this in “Prime Time,” the latter yelled at Lemay, “Hey, we’re prime-timers!”
– Then there was the younger Lizotte, a left-handed batter wearing a red helmet and gritting his teeth like a good ol’ fashioned, seasoned professional. He drilled a liner down the first-base line, and it just happened to strike Lacroix, but she didn’t care. He pushed the “Go” button on his wheelchair to the limit and wheeled toward first base.
When it came time, he did the same as he tried to score on another single. While tooling to the plate, his dad screamed, “Slide, Connor, slide!”
Seriously? This isn’t fun? Parents around the perimeter of the diamond, or those on the field as buddies/helpers, were laughing (and perhaps tearing up) at the very sight of their heroes playing a game that some medical professionals, perhaps, would have deemed impossible not that long ago.
– Aidan Bentz, a Woonsocket eight-yearold, stood proudly at third waiting to see if his friend Chelsea could manufacture a single or more to plate him. He looked at his uncle, Chris Bentz, who just happens to be his buddy and third-base coach, smiled and gave him two thumbs-up.
“I like batting, but I like playing catch, too,” Aidan said. “I can’t wait to see if I can score!”
Explained Chris: “Aidan is brand new to the program here. My mom got him involved when she found out about it; we don’t have one in Woonsocket. Another one of my nephews plays in the Challenger Division in Attleboro.
“This is so great for him to get out of the house and be with other kids just having fun, playing ball.”
– Alejandro Gallego, a CHS junior who spends a ton of time training for cross-country and indoor outdoor track, acts as a buddy to all the players of the Cumberland squad. He didn’t have to be on hand to help out these kids, but chose to. He stood by the team’s third-base dugout and informed each athlete when his or her time was to bat.
“Interacting with the kids and watching them laugh and smile, it makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing,” he said. “I just feel I’m doing something nice, that they’re being treated the way I would want to be.
“I could never not do this; it means too much to them, but also to me,” he added. “It actually raises your self-esteem and self-confidence. It gives you a warm feeling inside.”
Not surprisingly, it does the same for the athletes.
According to Rob Leddy, the father of Cumberland player Jonathan Leddy, 12, his son had been diagnosed with Acute Corpus Callosum; in essence, it’s a brain disorder that disallows clarity and speed of thoughts being communicated.
Baseball, however, has changed his boy 10-fold.
“It gets him out of the house, and he gets the chance to play with a bunch of other kids,” Rob noted. “He feels like a part of a team, and he’s a little more outgoing and interactive. You can tell he’s having a really good time, and that thrills all of us.”
Stated Mike Lizotte: “This Challenger Division has grown just by word of mouth. We brought in a few kids from Woonsocket because they don’t have it up there; we now have three, but there’s always room for more!”