Spring registration opening for Challenger League baseball

The Oak Mountain Challenger League is opening registration this month for its spring season.

The Challenger League is part of Oak Mountain Youth Baseball and Softball, a baseball league for kids ages 5 to 18 with mental or physical handicaps, Director Mike McGarty said.

“This gives them an opportunity to play on a team sport in an environment that’s safe for them,” said McGarty, who has been with the league for more than 15 years. 

The league is open to boys and girls, and while they play with a baseball-sized ball, it’s softer than a normal baseball to make the game a little safer, McGarty said. 

The teams play a minimum of seven games, McGarty said, and will wrap up the season with a celebration, rather than tournament. They do not keep score during the games, and they encourage players from the OMYBS teams to act as “buddies” on the field.

These buddies will help field balls and teach the Challenger League players how to run the bases.

Registration for spring 2018 is open from Dec. 18 through Feb. 2. There’s a $25 registration fee to offset uniform costs, McGarty added, but there are scholarships available if that fee makes it difficult for families to participate. 

“We would rather you play than pay,” he said.

For more information, go to omybs.org and select “Challenger” under the “About OMYBS” tab, or go to facebook.com/omybschallengers. McGarty can also be contacted at mmcgarty@bellsouth.net or 223-6461.