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Young Athletes™ is Worth Waiting For
Program delivers the joy of play and family fun
My son Cole has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism. He has been a challenge over the years when it comes to playing group sports through special recreation or any kind of sporting activity. [We] were starting to think our little Special Olympics athlete was not going to want to play any sports.
When the Young Athletes kit arrived in January, my three-year-old was so excited. We had it out of the box in minutes. We watched the DVD and I looked over the book and thought, “There is no way Cole and his stubbornness was going to participate.”
Meanwhile, Owen, my three-year-old, was thrilled. We blew up the beach ball and began to play catch while Cole watched. I cheered loudly when Owen caught the ball and that really got Cole's attention. Soon, Cole came closer and closer and he decided to sit with me. Cole decided to touch the ball and Owen and I cheered loudly. Cole got a huge smile on his face and we did a hand-over-hand throw to Owen. We played like this for a few minutes, cheering loudly for Cole and giving him all kinds of encouragement. Soon, I was able to back away and watch Owen and Cole play catch together.
This is something I had never seen the boys do together. I feel like this moment was something I had waited a lifetime for, just to see my boys play catch like two ordinary kids. It is rare for Cole and Owen to play together; Cole just doesn't play. I think it not only let me have a moment of what it must be like to have two typically developing kids and do something "normal," but I realized it also gave Owen a chance to have an experience that typical brothers have. Owen now feels like he is Cole's "coach" and it is his job to teach him how to play with the items. Owen knows this is his time to play with his big brother. When I think about that first time playing with the Young Athletes kit, it makes me teary-eyed and so grateful for the experience. Thank you, Special Olympics!
- Wendy English, a parent from Special Olympics Illinois
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