NorthPaws vs Challenger in fun weekend outing on June 25 (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Connor Gunn

NORTHPAWS VS CHALLENGER

NorthPaws square off against Challenger Baseball Program in all-for-fun weekend game

Jun 28, 2022 | 4:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops NorthPaws lent a helping hand to the Challenger Baseball program on the weekend. The program helps children with disabilities learn to play and love the game of baseball.

“The Challenger program is adaptive baseball for children with special needs and youth with special needs. Our goal this year has been to take kids that have experience in the past but want to learn more of the fundamentals of baseball,” says Challenger Baseball Head Coach Tyler Carpentier.

NorthPaws players showed their support this past weekend helping out the Challenger Baseball program.

Carpentier says he’s thankful the NorthPaws can help introduce children to the sport. He says teaching baseball to kids with physical or cognitive disabilities is heartwarming.

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“It’s really incredible watching the kids grow socially and emotionally through this as well as grow with their physical skills and being able to play the game with something that requires as much fine motor skills as baseball does,” Carpentier adds.

In their inaugural season, one NorthPaws player hopes that the team can keep assisting the community and the Challenger program.

“Whenever we can help out, that’s awesome. It’s about giving back to other people for me that’s pretty important and for the rest of the [NorthPaws players] it’s pretty important,” says NorthPaws Pitcher Boston Warkentin.

The Challenger baseball games are played in a fun, safe environment where no score is kept.

Although there was no trophy or winner of the game, Carpentier says seeing the smiles on the children’s faces and the development of the game is the real prize.

“Something that can be as intellectually challenging as baseball can be and seeing that and being able to process the game in real-time and start to understand the mechanics of the game has been really impressive,” says Carpentier.