Challenger Baseball Caledon hits capacity as 2025 season swings into action

June 19, 2025 · 0 Comments

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Challenger Baseball Caledon kicked off its 2025 season on June 7 for Opening Day.

Players met their team, coaches, and buddies and played their first game.

Challenger Baseball is a program that provides an opportunity for children with cognitive or physical disabilities to enjoy the full benefits of participation in baseball at a level structured to their abilities.

The games are played in a fun, safe environment, where “Buddies” are assigned to help participants throughout the game.

Program Director Jackie Thornton has been a part of Challenger Baseball since 2018 and said her family is a baseball family. With her current role as a resource teacher for kids with special needs in Caledon, she said it was a natural fit to become program director.

She shared this is the first year the program has been at maximum capacity for participants.

To Thornton, this means there is a real need in Caledon for this type of program.

There was a barbecue, music, and face painting on opening day and Thornton said the occasion helped transition kids back to the program and seeing their friends.

“The big part of it is the families getting to bring their child somewhere and being part of a networking group. The kids get to see their friends, they get to be physically active, they get to participate in something,” said Thornton.

As the buddies for the players are volunteers, Thornton recruited many students who are graduating middle school and potentially need community hours.

“I had recruited kids who’ve never worked with kids with special needs and young adults. That opportunity for them to know that they can contribute to the community and be compassionate and put forth an effort for somebody else – it was heartwarming,” said Thornton. “It was just amazing to see those buddies see something in themselves that they may have never seen before.”

Thornton said she’s seen many students who, even after completing their hours, come back repeatedly.

“My whole vision for this program since I’ve taken it over has also been to get people invested in their community,” said Thornton. “It’s about giving our special needs players opportunities to play and be able to network and be physically active. But, it’s also about instilling the idea of community to our young people and being part of something.”

As their program grows, Thornton shared they are seeking older buddies be able to help their young adult players participate.

Mike Brunetto, a coach and committee member with Challenger Baseball, shared a similar sentiment regarding the buddies.

“It’s a great way for students to get volunteer hours and also learn about the very special people that are in their community, which is the kids that we work with,” shared Brunetto.

Brunetto said he was very pleased to see older players and young adults join the team this year as he runs Community Support Network events, which are a large part of helping support loved ones from school to adulthood.

Brunetto said that often there is not much in place for children with cognitive or physical disabilities after they leave school; he advocates for services that extend support to these children for a welcoming and inclusive journey to adulthood.

This is why Brunetto was thrilled to see part of an older crowd join Challenger baseball this year.

“I think the biggest thing for us is it’s important to treat these events like family events. These are not meant to be drop-offs in the spirit of drop-offs, but it’s more about how do we get to know each other, who are the other families in the community like us, and how do we continue to keep growing,” said Brunetto.

Challenger Baseball will run every Saturday.

The upcoming Community Support Network event includes a potluck at the Humber River Centre on June 27 and a BBQ Picnic at Cold Creek Conservation Area on July 20.