More than 15 years ago, Kallie Griffin-Pena’s mom mailed her a copy of a newspaper article promoting an upcoming Little League Challenger Division® Jamboree event in Paw Paw, Michigan. With her experience working with students in an adaptive physical education program, both Griffin-Pena and her mom knew this new opportunity would be a perfect fit.
“I immediately started doing research and the first league that popped up was in Kalamazoo, which was right where I was going to school at the time. I reached out and when spring rolled around, the league responded, expressing their need for coaches, and I jumped right in,” said Griffin-Pena. “I started as a coach with my friend who I convinced to join with me, and I loved every second of it.”
After multiple seasons as a coach, sometimes helping with three teams depending on the year, Griffin-Pena is now the Director of Mattawan (Mich.) Little League’s Challenger Division. When Griffin-Pena first joined Mattawan LL, there was one team with eight players, but thanks to her focus on growing the program, it has since more than doubled to two teams with 18 players registered ahead of the 2025 season.
“At my first league in District 2, we had six teams and could assign the teams to different levels – beginners, intermediate, and advanced – which was awesome and allowed us to focus on the development of the players’ skills rather than facing whether or not there were enough kids to play,” said Griffin-Pena. “Now that I am in Mattawan, we have a goal to have enough teams to divide into those different levels of play so we can really focus on skills and creating the best environment for each athlete.”
While Mattawan LL’s numbers might not yet be where Griffin-Pena would like them to be, she credits the league’s efforts to make the Challenger Division part of the conversation rather than an afterthought for its initial growth. By changing how the program is discussed and promoted, the community is becoming more aware of the Challenger Division, which has allowed events like the annual end-of-season jamboree to grow.
“It’s the best day of the year. When I took over Mattawan’s program, I continued to host the Jamboree that they had already been running year after year because it was something that everybody in the community looked forward to,” said Griffin-Pena. “Whether they are a participating athlete, a coach, a buddy, or just a fan in the stands – the event brings the community together.”
Celebrating Mattawan LL Challenger Division’s 10th anniversary in 2025, not only will the end-of-the-season event feature leagues from Michigan, but Challenger Division programs from Ohio and Indiana will travel into the state to participate, as well, making it the largest event to date.
“The athletes will all participate in at least two games throughout the day, playing teams that they would not normally get to play,” said Griffin-Pena. “Off the field, our community comes together to give the athletes and volunteers a full experience. Local police and firefighters attend, we have food donations for lunches, face painting stations, and a dunk tank so the athletes can try and dunk their coach. It will be another great day to celebrate the athletes at the end of their season.”
Outside of the jamborees, Griffin-Pena is always looking for new ways to involve the community, including the connection she has built with the Kalamazoo Growlers, a baseball team that competes in the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate baseball league.
“The athletes come out to our field and act as Buddies for our players. It’s one of the best days on the field because the kids feel like the rock stars that we already know they are,” said Griffin-Pena. “We also take our teams to their games, where we get to do the National Anthem and talk about our program on the big screen. Our athletes get to be front and center – it’s a great way to connect with other teams and community partners.”
For her efforts within her community and with Mattawan (Mich.) Little League, Griffin-Pena was recognized as a Little League® Community Hero, Presented by New York Life, in January 2025. Since 2020, the Community Heroes recognition program has highlighted those dedicated individuals who not only volunteer their time at your local Little League program but also contribute in other ways to make the community better.
“Community is so important, and it means so many different things to so many different people. To me, community is more than just a group of people. Community is ensuring every child has the resources and access to the same opportunities. Community is inclusive sports; it’s every athlete, regardless of their ability, having a place to feel like they belong and having that sense of purpose. Community is coming together in that shared space, lifting each other up, and offering support.”
With the start of seasons just around the corner, for anyone who is looking to become involved in their local league’s Challenger Division as a volunteer, Griffin-Pena has this piece of advice:
“You never know what your next great love or your next great passion is going to be until you do it. It can feel intimidating to walk onto your first field if you have never volunteered with a Challenger Division before. But I promise you, after you take those first two steps and help in your first practice, you’re going to hit the ground running and you’re never going to look back,” said Griffin-Pena. “If you’re a younger volunteer, the peer-to-peer connections are great, and our athletes love it. There’s no losing in that scenario and you’re going to love it so much that someone is going to have to kick you off the field because you’ll never want to leave.”
To learn more about the Little League Community Heroes recognition program, Presented by New York Life, and to nominate a Community Hero in your league, visit LittleLeague.org/Community Heroes.