MASON, Ohio — New baseball fields are under construction in Mason, but these are designed to adapt to players with disabilities.

What You Need To Know

  • Construction is underway for two new adaptive fields in Mason 

  • The fields are designed to make a level playing field for people with disabilities 

  • An area league is already making plans and raising money to add more to it 

Jason White and his family have been raising money as cars go by. Part of where that money is going to baseball. Something his dad, Pete White, said can sometimes be challenging for Jason.

“Jason does really well in a walker, but we can’t have him out on a field that’s all uneven, it’s just not a safe thing,” said Pete.

He signed Jason up for a team that went to the Little League World Series and changed everything. It's a team named "The Challengers."

“About 12 years ago, we were looking at how to service all the kids in the community and saw that we were missing kids with disabilities, so that’s when we started our Challenger league,” said Mason Challenger League President Susan Murdock.

Murdock is leading the multi-million dollar change for players.

“The fields will have a turf surface, so that will help level the playing field for our players, the other thing that’s nice is the lines and the bases are part of the turf so we don’t have anything raised out there either,” said Murdock.

The specially designed fields will go next to Makino Park in Mason. They just broke ground on the new adaptive fields that’ll take at least nine months to finish.

The Challengers are ready for it.

“I like to do some moves, and I like being all sassy,” said 11-year-old Challenger player Ella Pocisk. 

“it gives me a passion to want to play baseball even more,” said 14-year-old Challenger player Caitlin Kelly.

“This is just gonna change the game even more,” said Pete.

Grants and donations from the Challenger League and the city of Mason are also paying for the new adaptive fields. So far, they’ve raised $800,000 of the $2.1 million they’re hoping to get to make more accommodations for the players.