Penn College integral to Challenger Division’s winning lineup

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s association with the Little League Challenger Division dates back to the early 2000s, when a faculty member – with two kids playing in the first two exhibition games – turned parenthood and passion into a volunteer gig.

Decades later, Steven J. Moff, professor of business administration/management and marketing, is still on board. And he says his experience with the initiative, Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges, "just keeps getting better and better."

In recent years, that progression has included a pair of picnics: one on Friday night after an informal practice and one on Saturday, following the exhibition game that falls during Championship Weekend of the Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport.

The communal meals for players and their families are a labor of love for Moff and an ever-growing support network that this year included college administration, culinary students and members of the Wildcat baseball team, Dining Services and Disability & Access Resources staff, and local businesses.

He also gets "amazing" cooperation from the leagues involved, and this year's matchup – between teams from Syracuse, New York, and Lancaster – was no exception.

When weather threatened Friday's gathering under a pavilion outside Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, Moff called frequent volunteer Brian D. Walton, assistant dean of business and hospitality, in search of a rainy-night location. Sue A. Kelley, dean of business, arts and sciences, readily ran point and the event was seamlessly moved to the college's Keystone Dining Room, where about 180 people were fed in air-conditioned comfort.

In addition to hot dogs and barbecue prepared on campus, a number of local restaurants provided food throughout the weekend: Eder's Ice Cream, Rupert's Specialty Meats and Subway, Montoursville; and Joe's West and Vinnie's Italian Eatery, Williamsport.

Among those enlisted as servers were a contingent of students and employees, both Friday in KDR and during Saturday's postgame picnic for about 200 guests at the South Williamsport recreation complex.

From hospitality: students Ally A. Colon, Felicia D. Donnie, Aniya S. Green, Kassidy J. Kalbach, Alicia M. Kaster, Nicholas P. Matz, Alyssa D. Perez and Abigail G. Sollenberger.

From the Wildcat baseball team: Coach Chris H. Howard and players Anthony J. Barbella, Matthew D. Bailor, Nathan N. Gustkey, Gabe B. Reptsik, Shawn P. Townsend, Robert J. Havens, Alex J. Williams, Sam R. Staib and Wyatt L. Hershey.

Disability & Access Resources staff also pitched in: Katie L. Mackey, assistant director; Joann R. Reeves and Anita M. Tressler, specialists; and members of their respective families.

The college's Challenger connection runs deep, and is emblematic of the foundation on which communities are built.

Samuel D. Ranck, Little League's senior director of strategy and development and a longtime booster of the program, is a 2006 Penn College alumnus in business management and business administration-management information systems, and Tom Speicher, a campus writer/video producer who doubles as the "Man in the Crowd" on radio throughout the Series, co-hosts the broadcast of the Challenger Exhibition Game on WVIA-TV.

Moff has worn many hats during his own Challenger affiliation: father, fundraiser, food-wrangler and fan. He even managed a team that was invited to the White House for a July 2005 tee-ball game on the South Lawn and a meeting with President George W. and first lady Laura Bush. And he never tires of the experience, no matter how much juggling is involved.

"I still get goosebumps watching these kids," he said. "To be on TV in a world-class stadium, with thousands of people cheering for children who aren't generally the ones being cheered? It's particularly special."