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Challenger Baseball League changes lives both in Grand Junction and far beyond

Carma Brown and the Challenger Baseball League have put together quite a special program for their own children and their roving groups of buddies over the last 17 years.

By Bobby DeMuro
  • Preparing for a play in the field.
  • Scoring a run with an assist from Colorado Mesa University's baseball team.
  • You can't beat the smiles of those Challenger players.
  • Down the stretch they come for home!
  • Do whatever you can do, help each other, and have fun doing it.
  • All smiles through the tunnel after a big win.
  • Safe at home!
  • Calling his shot!
  • All of Colorado Mesa's sports teams are involved with Challenger.
  • All smiles at Challenger Baseball events.
  • Getting ready to hit the ball!
  • Beating out the ground ball to first base!
  • Looks like pretty good form out on the pitcher's mound.
  • Everybody celebrates achievement at Challenger Baseball.
  • Playing ball at Challenger Little League.
  • Playing ball at Challenger Little League.
  • All smiles going through the tunnel after a game!
  • You can't beat the smiles of those Challenger players.
  • Playing ball at Challenger Little League.
  • You can't beat the smiles of those Challenger players.
  • Concentrating hard on his game.
  • It's all smiles on the field!
  • Ready to hit!
  • Playing ball at Challenger Little League.
  • It's all smiles on the field!
  • Playing ball at Challenger Little League.
  • Rounding third and heading for home.
  • Heading down to first base!
  • Ready to hit!
  • Time to round the bases!
  • Safe at home!
  • The pitcher and hitter meet.
  • Looks like a strong defense this year.
  • Run hard into second and you're safe!
  • Going for two!
  • Playing ball at Challenger Little League.

When Carma Brown started the Challenger Baseball League in Grand Junction, there's no foreseeable way she could have envisioned it developing into what we see today, both from her own special needs players in the league, and the teams of buddies who gleefully come out to help on a weekly basis.

Enjoy some pictures from Carma's time working with Challenger Baseball, affecting the lives of children across Mesa County and the Western Slope and even further across the country through her impact on the Pioneer League's Grand Junction Rockies and the teams coming annually to the JUCO World Series at Suplizio Field.

It quickly becomes about so much more than baseball when this Challenger League is concerned, reminding all of us how truly insignificant sports and stats and analysis becomes when the game is used for the right means, and with people for whom it really, truly matters.

To read our longform feature on Challenger Baseball and Carma Brown, please click here.

To donate to Challenger Baseball's trip to the Little League World Series, please click here.

To learn more about Challenger Baseball, please click here.

Enjoy the gallery! All pictures courtesy of Challenger Baseball, reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

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