When the new Little League baseball season starts in White Rock Saturday, it will include a brand new division, thanks to a young clothing store manager, 22 excited players and their buddies.

This will be White Rock鈥檚 first year with a Challenger Baseball Division 鈥� a league for children with cognitive or physical disabilities to play the game under one-on-one supervision of able-bodied 鈥渂uddies,鈥� where fun and excitement trump scorekeeping and strikeouts.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no three-strikes-you鈥檙e-out, or anything like that. Everyone hits the ball and gets to run the bases,鈥� says Paige McLean, co-ordinator for the White Rock Challenger Division.

Paige鈥檚 father, Ian McLean, started Challenger in B.C. in 1992 and currently serves as the provincial co-ordinator.

鈥淢y dad told me we really want to expand, and I said White Rock really needs something like this. He said it鈥檚 a lot of work to get it started but I told him I鈥檓 willing to do it,鈥� said McLean, who also works full-time managing a clothing store when she鈥檚 not on the field.

Spreading the word about Challenger, registering kids and buddies, signing up sponsors and gathering equipment and uniforms has been a daunting task, McLean admits, but a rewarding one too.

鈥淕oing into it I thought, 鈥榦h yeah I鈥檒l just put together a baseball team and that will be that,鈥� but there鈥檚 so much that goes into,鈥� she says, adding that she currently has 鈥渘o living room鈥� in her apartment because it鈥檚 filled with boxes of Challenger gear.

鈥淏eing only 21, it鈥檚 been kind of a scary thing getting it set up, but it鈥檚 been an incredible learning experience and I鈥檝e met so many incredible people.鈥�

Some of her passion for the cause comes from her own family鈥檚 experience raising children with disabilities.

鈥淢y cousin had autism and I just think my aunt and uncle are the most incredible people. He passed away in his 20s, and those parents (of children with disabilities) just have so much more to deal with so whatever I can do to help them is not a big deal to me at all. The fact that I lose sleep and every bit of my spare time is occupied by this, I don鈥檛 care at all.鈥�

White Rock Challenger鈥檚 two teams 鈥� the Cardinals and Blue Jays 鈥� are made up of 22 players. They met at Bakerview Park last Saturday for the new division鈥檚 first official game day.

Next up is the annual Little League opening day parade and celebration at South 性视界传媒 Athletic Park April 16.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been asked to be a part of it, and that I speak at the season opener, which I鈥檓 totally nervous about, but I鈥檓 sure it will be fine,鈥� laughed McLean.

The Challenger teams will meet for games at 10 a.m. every Saturday at Bakerview until June 11, when all 14 divisions in B.C. will meet in Vancouver for the year end jamboree.

For more information on Challenger Baseball, visit www.challengerbaseballbc.com or email Paige McLean at paige.

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