How might we bring more athletic opportunities to kids with different abilities?
Inspired by a family member of a Project Good student, a small group of high schoolers set out to work with people experiencing physical disabilities in partnership with the West YMCA. The team began their empathy by researching the many definitions of the term “disability,” watching TED Talks about Special Olympics champions, astronauts, and inventors who have disabilities, and interviewing experts from Special Olympics and Boise Parks and Recreation’s AdVenture program about their experiences working with people with disabilities.
The team was encouraged to participate in a wheelchair basketball game at Fort Boise Community Center where the students bonded with players in chairs (both able-bodied and those who had disabilities) and learned more about their experiences. Some who had disabilities were missing limbs due to motor vehicle accidents while others had been using a wheelchair their entire life. Drawn to continue building these relationships, the students volunteered to referee and keep score at Boise Parks and Rec’s annual “ChairHoops” Wheelchair Basketball Tournament. At the tournament, the students spoke to players about their advocacy and awareness work. One gentleman told the team that he traveled to local elementary schools to speak to young children about disabilities, hoping to reduce stigma around the subject and introduce kids to this unfamiliar reality.
With this new inspiration and understanding of their topic, the team set to work. The students hoped that if young children could meet and build relationships with people of all different bodies and abilities, they would feel more confident in their own skin while reducing the stigma around people with disabilities being seen as “different” or “other.” Ultimately, they aimed to help children of all abilities feel empowered to participate in the athletic endeavors of their choosing in order to stay happy and healthy.
Through CapABLE, the One Stone team members invited youth at the YMCA to participate in a training group for the Steve Andrews Fall Sprint Triathlon. High school students would pair up with younger children of various disabilities to run, swim, bike and make connections before competing in the triathlon together.
On the day of the event, One Stone students helped participants decorate team jerseys, stretch, and get ready for their events. Students created posters to cheer on their young teammates as they swam laps in the pool and ran alongside them through the race course. Though the team did not have as many participants sign up as they had hoped the students did their best to make those who did participate feel special, supported, and celebrated.
Outcomes:
3 CapABLE participants competed with the One Stone team in the Steve Andrew’s Fall Sprint Triathlon
“I enjoyed collaborating with and learning about the groups in our community that make sports accessible to all. During the project, I learned how to effectively work with a team to create and implement a project that would empower young athletes of all abilities.” - Arianna Carlson, One Stone member
