Our Story

Tucson Challenger Little League was created in 1990 and is designed for children and young adults with various physical and/or mental challenges, ages 5-20.  Our League mission is to help our players succeed in the game of baseball and to enjoy all the benefits that Little League has to offer.  More than just the skill of baseball is learned through the experience, like the socialization benefits of participating in sports, the strengthening of self-esteem and the joy of being a member of a Team.  We encourage Fun and Friendship where everyone is a Winner!

We play all of our games at the Field of Dreams, located at Kino and 36th Street in Tucson.   This four field fully handicap accessible complex was completed in March of 2001 and the 2010 season will have over 200 challenged players participating with 16 teams and two divisions.   We also share the complex with Randolph (baseball) and Presidio (softball) Little Leagues and Special Olympics softball.  

Back in 1990 Tucson Challenger Little League was started to provide a baseball opportunity for children with mental and/or physical disabilities. When we started the Challenger Program it was run as a Division of the Little League Districts 5 and 12.  We started with 4 teams and less than 20 players.  The ages varied from age 6 to 20 and all ages played together.

We were rather uniquely allowed by both Tucson area Little League Districts (5 & 12) to recruit players from any neighborhood League and across District lines.  We, in fact, drew recruits from anywhere in southern Arizona with disabled players who were willing to come from as far as Nogales and Sierra Vista, just for the opportunity to play baseball.  We have been allowed to operate with great flexibility to serve our special players and have always been responsible for creating and dispensing our own finances.

In the mid 90’s, as the Challenger Division grew to 10 teams and over 100 players, we recognized the need to provide an improved “age appropriate” opportunity so developed and divided players into two divisions: Minor and Major.  While age is a factor for Division placement we also look at ability/need to socialize with their teammates and skill/safety issues, thus trying to balance placement with the hope of providing the best opportunity for our players to be the most they can be. 

In order to provide a more true baseball experience the Major Division plays with “outs”, keeps score, and 3 outs retires a side.  There are many modified rules, however, to accommodate the ability level of all players.  For instance, there is the “safe runner” rule and the “circle” rule, designed to allow the mobility challenged full participation.  The Minor Division plays with no outs retiring the “side”, everyone bats, plays and go around the bases (although the fielders are encouraged to make all plays possible because they are training for the Majors).  In both Divisions the coaches pitch to the players.

When the recruits are available we have included a “T-Ball” division to accommodate the very youngest players, generally age 5 to 7.   When there are not enough of the youngest players, this age group is integrated into the Minor Division. 

1) We built the Field of Dreams Baseball Complex at Kino & 36th Street 

In our first years we played where ever a local league had an open field and at any time they could accommodate a couple of teams.  In our middle years we were provided a single non-fenced field at Fort Lowell Park and rotated all of our teams on that one field.   Finally someone named Bill Fields had the crazy idea and the stamina to stick with a Plan to build a Challenger baseball field that would be fully handicap accessible.  From that idea of Bill’s the Dream grew to become the Tucson Conquistador Field of Dreams Baseball Complex at Kino and 36th Street, a four field fully handicap accessible ballpark.  We started play there in March of 2001.  Challenger and Special Olympics play all their games there and share the field with two local Little Leagues, Randolph (baseball) & Presidio (softball).  It is the premier Little League baseball facility in southern Arizona. 

2) We helped to develop and provided the seed funds for an Adult Softball Division for players over the age of 20.  Little League in Arizona will only allow the Challenger Division to accommodate players between age 5 and 20 so as our players grew older we found a way to grow and maintain the baseball opportunity for players who “age out” of Tucson Challenger Little League.

3) After many years of being a “division” of Little League Districts 5 & 12 in Southern Arizona, we asked Little League International if we could be chartered as our very own League with the geographical recruitment area of Southern Arizona.  With the support of our Districts we were successfully granted our very own Little League Charter as Tucson Challenger Little League.