A Rewarding And Fun Challenge

Allyson Dunn didn't have a team of her own, used to stay off the field and watch her sister Madison, 10, play softball. 

Then their mom, Edie Dunn, got an idea.

"My daughter Allyson has disabilities," Dunn said. Allyson, 13, has Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Dunn said. 

Dunn in 2010 founded Edie's Angels, a team in 's Challenger division for children with physical and mental challenges.

The first year, the team had about six players, she said.

"This year, we have 13 players," said Dunn, who coaches the team. "We grow each year."

Boys and girls on the team range in age from 8 to 18, Dunn said and added the division includes several teams in the area. Each Challenger game includes three innings and every player gets a chance to bat, she said.

"All our players have buddies," Dunn said of helpers. "It's just about getting them out to do something ... They're all different levels, all different disabilities. It's a time for the parents to sit and relax, too."

In addition to exercise, Challenger provides a fun place for participants and their families to socialize, Dunn said. 

"I love it," Dunn said. "My players are my kids ... I love to see them excited."

The division is rewarding, she said.

"I played softball through high school, but this is just fun," she said. 

Eva Wagner echoed that sentiment. She and her husband Jeff of North Coventry Township enjoy watching their daughter Lily, 11, play on the team.

"She feels important, feels good when everybody cheers," Eva Wagner said of Lily, who was diagnosed as high-functioning mentally retarded. 

Eva Wagner said the sport offers healthy camaraderie for the players and parents.

"It's an awesome thing for these kids," she said.