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Challenger Flag Football provides special needs players with place on, off the field
Point Pleasant Challenger Flag Football has opened the opportunity for children with special needs to enjoy the game of football. For seven years, the program has allowed players to learn the game while enjoying the friendships built within the team. (Courtesy: Dan Richards)

Challenger Flag Football provides special needs players with place on, off the field

POINT PLEASANT, N.J. (BVM) — Seven years ago, the Point Pleasant Challenger Flag Football program began as a way to give children with special needs the opportunity to play flag football. Today, the New Jersey-based organization has developed into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is more like a family to its players and coaches.

According to the mission statement of the program, “Our organization believes that the football field is a place where more than just a game is played. We believe it is a place that can make the world a better place. The football field is where we bridge the difference and promote understanding of the people with special needs. Our volunteers learn that people with special needs are not so different than themselves. They develop an understanding of the challenges that their differently abled counterparts face each day. Our Challenger athletes have the opportunity to play a team sport, experience a sense of camaraderie and feel ‘the thrill of victory’ and ‘the agony of defeat.’

“These special athletes gain physically, in terms of coordination and endurance, but also, more importantly, learn to work as a member of a team, developing the ability to wait, focus, follow directions and feel a sense of accomplishment. Our hope is that the camaraderie and understanding developed on the field will continue in the community at large.”

When Point Pleasant Challenger Flag Football president Dan Richards began the program initially, it started under the American Youth Football (AYF) banner.

“The AYF had too many restrictions, one being once you turned 21 you were out of the program,” Richards said. “It was the following season I decided to start my own program and let the kids play as long as they wanted to.”

There are currently 32 players, ages 7-34, both male and female, who practice every Thursday on the Point Boro practice fields, and then play their games on Sunday mornings on the Point Boro High School football turf field.

They are coached by Guy Voelbel, Ray Bukowski, Ken Hess, Thomas Scollan, Logan Cooley and Logan DeAngels

“My entire team consists of children with special needs,” Richards said. “Most Challenger programs play against other Challenger programs. These programs are very limited in size because the league sets age limits for its players. Our program is unique in that we play against high school football players. We currently play against the Point Boro Panthers and the Point Beach Garnet Gulls high school football teams. These are games where the buddies are the opposing team. This allows the Challenger players to gain self-confidence by doing things on their own.”

Richards said it is “truly amazing” how many friendships have been created off the field between high school players and Challenger players, who are known as the Pirates.

The team’s Facebook page alone shares stories of new births, players growing up and buying cars, teammates going to watch football games together and brunches spent together.

As one of many unique opportunities the team has received, the Lester Glenn Subaru in nearby Toms River has a Challenger car decorated in honor of the Challenger program. (Courtesy: Dan Richards)

A local car dealership, Lester Glenn Subaru in nearby Toms River, even has a Challenger car decorated in honor of the team.

“When I started the program, all I wanted to do was give the kids the opportunity to play football to be part of a team, but it has turned into more than that,” Richards said. “It has become a family.”

Yet aside from camaraderie, there is still a sense of competition.

“Our playoff/championship games have varied throughout the years,” Richards said. “Our first couple of games we would play against the high school players, but in front of tackle team programs since the AYF held all of the championship games on the same day. It was great exposure for the program to get recognized.

“For the past two years, we have played Point Pleasant Station No. 75 fire department. A couple of years before the fire department, we played the Point Pleasant Police Department.”

However, there won’t be much competition this year, since due to the uncertainty of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the decision was made in July to postpone this season.

“The safety of everyone involved with the program is paramount,” Richards said. “As we move forward with the start of the school year and policies and procedures become more defined, we will look into how we can move forward with a season.”

Despite the delay in season, new players are still encouraged and welcome to join.