DATE: Thursday, February 27, 1997           TAG: 9702260199

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 12   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER

                                            LENGTH:   53 lines

CHILDREN WITH CHALLENGES HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE LEAGUE

When the umpire yells ``Play Ball'' this spring, youngsters who never before had a chance to play ball will take to the field to share in a sports experience they will never forget. The new Challenger division of the Bennett's Creek Little League will afford children with disabilities the chance to play Little League baseball in Suffolk for the first time.

David Bagley, 19, will be one of those kids. For years David spent his afternoons and evenings at the Little League field, sitting in the stands and watching his older and younger brothers play ball while their father coached. But for David, who is mentally disabled, there was no team and no chance to share in the spotlight.

Four years ago his parents, Louis and Debra Bagley, signed David up to play Challenger division ball in Portsmouth. Soon David was playing ball on the same fields where his father, a Portsmouth native, had played ball 30 years ago and he loved it.

``At first he was excited, but unsure of himself,'' Louis Bagley said. ``We, as parents, have a tendency to be very protective of our children with disabilities and they often don't get the exposure they need.

``Challenger gives them experiences that other kids take for granted and that all chidren should have growing up.''

Challenger baseball is played with a Ragg ball, a softer version of a regulation size hardball. Every player on the roster is in the batting order and plays in the field. Unlimited outs let each team run through their batting order each inning. Volunteer buddy-coaches run with those players who need direction or help in navigating the bases and will play at the plate or in the field with youngsters who need one on one help to bat, catch, or throw the ball. And no one keeps score because everyone is a winner.

Last year the Bagleys, Suffolk residents, realized that at least five of the younsters on David's team were from Suffolk and that it was time to start a Challenger division in Suffolk. ``We approached the Bennett's Creek Little League about chartering a Challenger division and they embraced the idea,'' Bagley said.

Challenger baseball is open to all children ages 5 to 21 with any physical or mental disabilities, including youngsters in wheelchairs or those who are visually impaired.

Challenger players will participate in the Bennett's Creek Little League opening day on April 5 and will begin practice for the games that will start in May.

Players may be registered at the Little League fields at Driver Elementary School on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be no try-outs for Challenger division players. A registration fee of $10 covers the cost of a uniform T-shirt, hat, and all Little League regisitration fees. MEMO: For more informtion or to register a child at a time other than

Saturday, call Louis or Debra Bagley at 238-3202 or 925-5579.

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