About Us

We play St. Louis Challenger Baseball to make friends!

We’re a baseball league for kids and adults with developmental disabilities from ages 5 on up. Since 1994 the main goal of St. Louis Challenger Baseball has been to make friends!

The following teams play in the spring: St. Louis (Tilles Park, at the corner of McKnight and Litzsinger), Pike County, MO (Bowling Green), St. Louis City school district (Gateway Michael, Gateway Elementary, and Nottingham High School), Madison County, IL (Edwardsville), St. Francois County, MO (Farmington (we’re working to find people to help us with this location) ), Ste. Genevieve County, MO (Ste. Genevieve), and Jefferson County, MO (Imperial).

These teams play in the fall: Franklin County, MO (Pacific, at the Pacific Youth Athletic Park), Ranken Jordan Pediatric Rehabilitation Hospital (at the corner of Dorsett and Adie Roads in St. Louis), Bond County, IL (Pocahontas), Perry County, MO (Perryville), Nottingham High School in the St. Louis City school district, and Southeast Missouri in Sikeston (information to come on this location). Please see the schedule page for all location schedules!

The fundamental goal of Challenger Baseball is to make friends. As our players who have disabilities play baseball they have the opportunity to make friends with teammates and their buddies. Buddies are kids and young adults (between the ages of 10 and 25 who don’t have a disability) who hang out with our players on the field and assist them if they need a bit of help.

Every person regardless of their developmental disability can play Challenger Baseball. Players not only have a great time playing baseball, but also experience pulling together as a team, being cheered by a crowd, and being encouraged by their peers. All players receive a full uniform: jersey, pants, socks and a hat. And all players get a trophy.

How It Works

Beyond following basic safety rules, Challenger baseball tailors the game to the skill levels of the players. Challenger players play on the same fields, use the same equipment, and wear the same full uniforms as traditional teams.

Teams are supported by coaches and by our buddy system. As our buddies make friends they also assist players if they need it. For example, they might push players who use wheelchairs around the bases after a hit, or they might help a player retrieve a ball that gets past them, among other things. But the most important thing a buddy does is to be a friend to our players.