Yes You Can Play

Syracuse Challenger Baseball is the oldest and largest baseball league for adults and children with disabilities in the world. Players from across Central New York have the opportunity to create friendships around the team sport of baseball. Watching a Syracuse Challenger Baseball game is a magical experience where all worries melt away and the joy being part of a team fills the air. New parents get in on conversations about parenting, schools and what they are feeding their kids for dinner. All this happens while laughter and cheering ring out from the fun happening on the fields.

The season runs May through July. For our junior and adult leagues, the teams play for fun. There is no score during the games. Plus strikes, walks and outs are not counted. The game lets every player get to bat and make a hit. When everyone has batted, the next team has a turn at the plate. Parents, coaches, family members, friends are all encouraged to assist with batting, fielding, running and throwing as necessary. The league prides itself on good sportsmanship and cheering every player as they do their best. The senior league plays at a higher skill level where players play the field and are ready to chase line drives or even home runs.

The Syracuse Challenger league was started in the 1980’s by parents in Eastwood and because of their commitment and the vision of those that have managed the league since then, the league has grown to become the largest Challenger League in the US with close to 300 children and adults. Syracuse is proud that parents, volunteers and local businesses have continued to support our league and make it a model for other cities around the country.

Go The Distance

Field Maps

Senior & Adult Fields = Roby Ave.

Junior Fields = Westwood Ave.

2020 Season Cancelled

We've spent a great deal of time talking to each other to try to find a way to make our season happen this year. Today we have come to the agreement that having a Challenger program during this COVID 19 crisis would place too much of a strain on our parents, coaches, and volunteers. We've tried to wrap our heads around creating a place where players would stay 6 feet away from each other in a team contact sport. We also can't imagine a place where we don't do group circle cheers or see group hugs happening. We also are aware of how many of our players who are immune-compromised. Postponing a season into the high heat months also concerned us. With all of these items stacked against us, we decided the only way to move forward was to cancel this season. It is the first year Challenger will be missing a season since 1982, so trust us when we say we did not come into this choice without a lot of thinking and talking about options.

We will continue to monitor what goes on in Major League Baseball and other minor league teams. We have talked about a league celebration at the end of the summer - but we can't make any promises because we want to make sure all of our players are safe and our parents are free from worry. Here is hoping we can do something so that we can all see each other this year.

We also know so many of you are straining against everything this virus has thrown at you. Our administration team has children who are in their teens and twenties and we have our own set of difficulties. Our hearts go out to the families with younger children who have lost school services that are desperately needed by our kids. Parents are trying to be workers who are dealing with new technology or workers who are on the front lines with new ways to be in the public eye. Our kids have had to find their teachers on computers or iPads and for some that is just not enough. Our older players miss seeing their friends in the community and their mentors have had to come up with new ways to engage with their mentees. This virus has shown us where the holes are in our systems and we hope when we come out of this that we find new ways to support our children and our parents. But your creativity and strength through all of this fills our hearts with pride. Our families are strong, smart, loving, and amazing. We hope all of these challenges will start to ease up so you can breathe again.

Our team wants to make this league better every year. So we will use this time off to make plans for 2021. We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces again.

Dee, Dom and Jen