The Seattle Mariners could learn a lesson or two from their Bainbridge Island Little League counterparts.

While the big boys battle their way through another so-so season, the Bainbridge Island Little League Challenger Mariners team recently finished their 2015 season undefeated — their fifth straight perfect year.

For half a decade now, counting this past season, the island Little League squad has been getting its players on the field, up to the plate and into the action.

It’s an impressive achievement for any sports program, let alone one made up of kids who might otherwise not get to play the game at all.

“The Challenger Division of Little League was established in 1989 as a separate division to enable boys and girls with special physical and mental challenges to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide,” explained Little League Challenger Mariners Co-head Coach Marc Strachan. “Today, more than 30,000 children participate in more than 900 Challenger Divisions worldwide.”

Few, however, boast the record of the Bainbridge team.

The team’s roster this year, with players aged 6 to 18, included Hunter Whittlesey, Hayley Stoulil, Vincent Jacobson, Scott Mowell, Ann Jernigan, Elisha Cook, Henry Molendijk, Mathew Strachan, Tia Stimson, Victoria Kleiven, Charlotte Crampton, Axel Brandt-Erichsen and Megan Fisher.

The coaches this year were Mitch Melby and Strachan and the team manager was Joann Meins.

It is the experience of playing America’s favorite game and being part of a team which is the point of the program and prized by the players, more so even than the wins, Strachan said.

“We try to make everything a positive experience for the kids,” he said. “They’re a great group of young individuals with special needs who have a love and a passion for the game of baseball.”

One of the biggest benefits of having a Challenger Division, Strachan explained, is that it encourages the use of more experienced “buddies” for the Challenger players.

“The buddies for Bainbridge Island Little League are drawn from the Majors League level of both the softball and baseball divisions, allowing for assistance the Challenger players on the field might need,” he said.

The buddies assist the Challenger players on the field, but encourage the players to bat and make plays for themselves.

That’s a critical difference, Strachan said, as the whole point is to get kids playing the great game of baseball.

“They want to be out there,” he said of the team. “It’s a game that anybody can play; you just have to get out there and show them how.”

The buddy is always nearby, however, to help when needed, he added.

Players in the Little League Majors division are typically 11 to 12 years old.

Little League players run the gamut from T-ball (4 to 7 years old) to the Bigs Division (15 to 18 years old).

The Challenger season officially runs from April 13 to June 8, with games held every Saturday morning at Upper Rotary Field.

As schedules allow, the Bainbridge Challenger Mariners play an annual series with the North Kitsap Little League Challenger team, Strachan said.

This ongoing rivalry has been a fun experience for all the players and parents, he added, as well as one of the highlights between two District 2 Little League programs.

“What is great is [that] it’s important to allow them to play all the same sports all the other kids in the world play,” the coach said. “You can see growth in them.

“It’s great to see their confidence and their growth,” he added. “It’s just a positive experience.”

Positive, also, for the parents, Strachan said.

“One of the goals we try to achieve is that the parents don’t have to participate,” he explained.

Parents are free to sit back and enjoy watching their child play baseball like any other kid, a goal to which the Bainbridge Island Little League board has been incredibly supportive since the program began five years ago, the coach said.

For more information on Bainbridge Island Little League and the Challenger program, contact coach Strachan at marc.strachan@bilittleleague.org or manager Meins at j_meins@msn.com.