AJ's Service

            This year for my fifteen service hours I volunteered at an organization called Challenger baseball. In this organization I would help others and help the community by assisting kids with disabilities so that they may play baseball. Challenger baseball goes on at a group fields in West University and is part of West University Little League. I would serve the organization on the six Sundays that games were played. Kids of all ages can join Challenger and participate in the games.

            The first challenger player that I helped was a kid named Anthony Croft. He wasn’t very out going but I could tell he loved to play baseball. I talked to him a lot and was able to make him laugh. Watching him have fun was really special to me because I love baseball and I know that I would want to play if I had a disability. The second challenger that I had was a real outgoing guy and was fun to talk to. In the short hour that I was with him I was able to learn a lot about him such as his hobbies and his favorite things. He was an eighteen year old who had graduated high school and his name was Devin Singley. He was a nice and easy to talk to.

            I like helping the kids out and play because I know if I was disabled and could not play sports I would do everything possible to play. I love baseball and I love playing any type of sport. I am so attached to sports that I never want them to be a part of me all throughout my life. I intend to continue my service in the Challenger Baseball organization for the years to come because helping people who are less fortunate than me do something that brings them joy is something that is very special and is not something that you get to do anytime that you would like to.

            In most service opportunities you do not get to have very much fun but I loved to volunteer at Challenger. I made friends with all of the disabled players and by the third game I was able to talk to the players about things they were interested in because I had bonded with them. I found myself laughing and having a good time during the service hours and that is very rare. I was able to have as much fun as they did just by talking to them.

            I really enjoyed participating in Challenger this year and I had a lot of fun. It was my first year to do it but I think I will continue to do it in the future. I made new friends and I helped out the community. There is nothing I like more than baseball and it meant a lot to me to do something to bring others closer to the sport and happiness.