DeWitt, N.Y. (NCC News) – Despite its games being cancelled on Tuesday night, joy was still in the air at Syracuse Challenger Baseball’s Opening Day. The league was created in 1982 for special needs kids and adults to play alongside their “able-bodied” peers on the same field.
Donor funding is bringing a “super field” to Carrier Park Field of Dreams. The Lally and Lobdell families donated a combined $225,000 to build six new fields that are accessible to anyone and everyone, two large, state-of-the-art jumbotrons and streaming equipment to broadcast games on the internet for people to see. The new complex left players like 17-year veteran Zach Motondo almost speechless.
“That’s awesome guys, that’s awesome! Thank you to my doctors and [everyone]. That’s awesome!”
The new diamonds were not the only surprise for anyone in attendance. Syracuse Challenger Baseball is set to head to Williamsport in August, becoming the first program in Challenger history to send two teams to the Little League World Series Challenger Division baseball game. Current Executive Program Director Dom Cambareri said this moment was very special to him.
“When I saw my son Domenico walk up onto the stage today and have his name announced as being a Challenger World Series baseball player, I literally was tingling from head to toe,” Cambareri said.
Syracuse Challenger Baseball has blossomed into much more than a community. A $15.8 million athletic complex should tell people enough, but parents, proud of the hard work their kids have done could speak on the same topic. Only their futures are right before them.
“I’m extremely proud of him,” Zach’s mother, Nancy, said. “He’s been so dedicated, and he works hard. He just has so much love for the game. It’s amazing. We go to every Syracuse Mets game. We usually leave [Carrier Park Field of Dreams] to go to [NBT Bank Stadium]. It’s been his life, baseball.”
And with the community in mind, Cambareri had one last message.
“I hope that we inspire every single one of those communities to do exactly what we’ve done here,” Cambareri said. “If they reach out to us, I will be the first one to say ‘Yes, you can do this, you will do this and this is how to do it.’ Because it doesn’t get any better baby!”
