Henrico's Challenger Day brings baseball, teamwork and joy to students of all abilities

Challenger Day introduces the fundamentals of baseball to K-5 students in Henrico schools with physical and cognitive disabilities. It's fun, inviting and inclusive.

It's easy to see how much one student, Grayson, loves baseball. His dad sees it too.

"Just pure joy, you know, to be outside playing a sport that you love. And the smiles are contagious. Its a beautiful thing," Jimmy Bonnell said.

And Challenger Day makes it fun for other kids too.

This doesn't happen without good people volunteers, partnering businesses and dedicated teachers like Forrest Hunley with Henrico County Schools who specializes in adapted physical education.

Hunley will tell you it's fun, but the various baseball activities are designed for skills training, sportsmanship and team building.

"Tuckahoe Little League puts this on for us every year and gets our kids out of the classroom, out of the gym, and come out here and get to experience a little bit of baseball, a little bit of the sport that goes around being part of a team," Hunley said.

It's more than baseball. It's about inclusion.

"It's great for them to get out here and see the ball fields and be part of a team, but what gets me is the community. The way that the high school kids come out and support and the parents are here and all the teachers. They get encouraged," Hunley said.

And it's about a dad, watching his son learn and having fun.

That's why Bonnell isn't just watching but serves as the Commissioner of Challenger for the Tuckahoe Little League and appreciates the support.

"Whether they come into a game to cheer everybody on or help out with practice, we can always use an extra set of hands. Its always really wonderful," Bonnell said.

Tuckahoe Sports, Incorporated leads Challenger Day, joined by three co-sponsors: Henrico Education Foundation, Henrico Recreation and Parks, and Tuckahoe Little League.

Building a love of baseball for everyone is Building Better Minds.