Vancouver-area children with cognitive and physical challenges can now fully experience the joys of baseball after a new barrier-free diamond opened on Saturday.
The baseball diamond at Hillcrest Park has been renovated for children who play Challenger Baseball, which is a league designed for players with special needs.
The first of its kind in Canada, the fully accessible diamond features artificial turf and no raised obstacles, making it safe for all players.
Challenger Baseball parent Corrina Pitacco told CTV Vancouver that the accessible diamond is “rewarding” for the families, because the children “already face so many challenges and barriers.”
She said the play time on the field is “really important and integral, I think, in their development.”
Parks Board Commissioner Casey Crawford, who was also on hand for the grand opening, echoed that sentiment. “Vancouver is not the best weather for baseball sometimes, so to have a facility like this, where disadvantaged children who play Challenger Baseball can play with safety, with security can enjoy the game just as much as their able-bodied peers can – it’s pretty amazing,” Crawford told CTV Vancouver.
The field isn’t just for Challenger Baseball. A raised mound and bases can be put in for other leagues and teams.
The project was partnership between league Variety Children’s Charity, the Jays Care Foundation and the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation. The group raised $280,000 for the new field.
With a report by CTV Vancouver’s Christina Heydanus
