If you check out tonight’s high school sports schedule you’ll find there are state tournament basketball games and the preliminary round of the Region 6 wrestling tournament. This is the time of year when the best athletes and teams are pitted against one another for some of their sports biggest prizes….Shore Conference and State Championships.
There’s another event on tap for tonight of a very different kind and just the fact that it’s being held is something to celebrate. Woodlake County Club in Lakewood is the site of a kickoff event and fundraiser for the newly-established Ocean & Monmouth County Challenger Sports League which beginning in September will provide high school students with severe disabilities the chance to play sports and represent their schools.
There’s a chance you’ve heard of Challenger leagues before but that’s usually associated with Little League Baseball or youth soccer…this new endeavor will enable high school athletes to compete against other schools wearing the same uniforms and colors of varsity athletes.
The Ocean & Monmouth County Challenger League is partnering with the Ocean County Council PTA to provide disabled athletes the opportunity to play flag football, soccer, basketball and baseball during the 2008-09 school year. Joseph DiPietro, an assistant Principal at Southern Regional High School and the school’s autistic program coordinator, will serve as Commissioner of the Challenger League. Southern is one of 13 high schools from Ocean County who will be participating beginning in the fall as will
all three Toms River schools, both high schools in Brick and Jackson, Barnegat, Central Regional, Lakewood, Pinelands and Point Boro.
Of course with anything like this money is a crucial factor and the goal is to raise funds through events like tonight’s kickoff as well as donations and grants so that it will not cost the schools any money to take part. For information on the league and how you can help you can call Joe DiPietro at
(609) 597-5573 or visit their web site at www.highschoolchallengerleague.com.
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