The annual Maine Little League Challenger Jamboree is a hit. For the second straight year, Maine’s six teams met for a weekend of baseball. There were a lot of hits, runs and smiles as youths ages 4 to 18 with disabilities enjoyed playing ball with peers from around the state.  

This year, Boothbay Harbor hosted the event. Teams included Lincoln County, Medomak (Waldoboro), Oceanside (Rockland), Portland/Saco, and two from Ellsworth. The Jamboree included two games, a parade from Boothbay Region High School to Sarah’s Scoops, a barbecue, home run derby, a pitch-hit-run contest and a visit from a special guest: Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster.

The jamboree is based on Maine’s District Little League championships. Maine has six Little League districts. Teams converge on a neutral site and attempt to advance to the state championship.

“We were looking for something to emulate Little League’s postseason and the six teams agreed last year a jamboree would be a great way to end a season,” said Lincoln County Challenger coach Paul Miner.

Challenger gives hundreds of youths like Cameron Holbrook of Boothbay a chance to play organized sports. Holbrook, 15, is a Boston Red Sox fan. For years, he’s enjoyed watching “The Olde Towne Team," but now Holbrook is more than a fan, he’s in the lineup. This is his third year playing Challenger, and his second Jamboree. “I like everything. I really liked meeting Wally, too,” he said.

The Challenger Division has distinct differences from Little League. In Challenger, score is not kept. Every player bats each inning. On defense, players have a buddy in the field, usually Little League players ages 10-12, but there are some older youths making sure players remain safe and coaching them on making plays.

In Ellsworth, Tamara Crowley was one of four volunteers who organized a Challenger Division program four years ago in Hancock County. The program has grown each year and now has over 30 players and two teams. Many of the volunteers have children with disabilities. She doesn’t. Crowley was attracted to the program because her friend expressed frustration there were no youth sports programs for special needs kids. “I can’t sit in the bleachers and watch my kid play,” Crowley recalled her friend saying. A few days later, Crowley saw a posting for volunteers to organize a local Little League Challenger Division team. Three others answered the same post. “We meet at Sylvia’s Cafe for muffins later that week, and Ellsworth Challenger was born."

Crowley’s son is one of the league’s buddies. She believes the experience benefits everyone involved. “This is helping us raise a generation of compassionate people,” she said.

Most of the Challenger Division programs run for six weeks in June and July. Ellsworth starts later, after Labor Day. For Coach Todd Wagstaff, his league’s experience shows this is the best time of year for Challenger baseball. “Look at the weather this time of year, it’s perfect. Also there is less competition for fields because Little League is over, and the players are available to be buddies,” he said.

It seems Ellsworth’s blueprint has been extremely successful. There are two Ellsworth-based teams with nearly three dozen players. The South Portland and Saco Challenger team began earlier and draws from a more densely populated area. Despite the advantages, Portland and Saco have only 10 players participating.

But South Portland/Saco and Ellsworth have a common thread. They started in the same manner. Both had volunteers who witnessed out-of-state Challenger Division events. Bob Dorr has been known as “Mr. Baseball” for four decades in Hancock County. He attended the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylavania in 2004. Dorr saw the Challenger Division for the first time, and returned determined to bring it home.

In South Portland, longtime softball coach Paul McClellan saw a Challenger Jamboree and encouraged others to organize a local team. One volunteer was Bert Marston who has volunteered for all five years of South Portland’s and Saco’s team. Marston has two sons, 12 and 19 years old, with special needs who played in Challenger. “I like the fact it gives special needs kids a chance to play competitive sports. They learn about competition, sportsmanship and being a good teammate,” he said.

This year’s jamboree was made possible by a team of Lincoln County team volunteers and community sponsorships. According to Miner, a committee worked all year organizing the event, and 30 volunteers provided manpower last weekend converting BRHS into a host site.

The Lincoln County team has also enjoyed corporate sponsorship. The First has sponsored the team all three seasons. The Damariscotta-based bank was also the jamboree's principal sponsor. Challenger Little League is one of several sports The First supports. “We are delighted to participate in Challenger,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Tony McKim. “We’ve had a long history with other sports starting with Acadia Youth Sports on MDI (Mount Desert Island) and sponsored Ellsworth’s Challenger program. For a couple years, we’ve been looking to expand our program, and did so with the Midcoast teams. We are delighted to do this.”

Other sponsors included Damariscotta Hardware, Subway of Boothbay, Hannaford, Rotary International, Damaricotta Bank & Trust, Camden National Bank, Sign Concepts, Bath Savings, Lincoln County Publishing Co., and Spears Farmstand. 

All participants received a trophy, but two players received a second one. Ellsworth’s Dylan Bellis won the Pitch-Hit-Run contest and Lincoln’s Myles Frederick was runner-up.

The 2019 Challenger Jamboree will be held in Ellsworth.