Their goal: a place on the field

Published 10:00 am Saturday, November 4, 2006

Special needs students leap off the sidelines through a new school program.

For the briefest of moments, as the soccer field at Woodward Middle School thawed under the Wednesday morning sun, Matthew Rawlings’ frigid fingers sought respite in the depths of his denim pockets.

Any coziness was short-lived. Seconds later Rawlings and his fingers were jarred back to life by some playful ribbing from youth soccer coach John Wedge.

“You can’t play goalie with your hands in your pockets,” laughed an incredulous Wedge, as spheres of leather whistled by in all directions.

Focus restored, Rawlings’ fingers reemerged from hiding. He smiled and batted away from the goal mouth an incoming shot, drawing applause from Wedge and other players nearby.

Then, amid laughter, the kick-fest continued with Wedge instructing and teachers cheering on the young footballers hustling about the pitch.

For Rawlings and about 10 other children with special needs who play soccer each week at Woodward, the games offer a few minutes of fun with their friends – a chance to get the blood surging.

But for Sue Steindorf, the school district’s physical therapist for the past 15 years, they represent an opportunity to connect those kids with the kinds of physical activities that in the past might have eluded them, or, just as likely, left them standing on the sidelines, hands in pockets.

That’s why she, along with parents and colleagues, is excited about the success of a new fitness program that has children like Rawlings leaping, lunging and laughing the same as any other kid.

And, Steindorf said, just as important as connecting them to better fitness is the opportunity to connect them with a community that wants to help, but doesn’t always know how.

“All of these kids are unique,” she said, of the 80 or so Bainbridge students who live with various conditions ranging from the mildest forms autism to Down Syndrome. “Even after 15 years, I’m still amazed at the things they’re capable of. I still sometimes underestimate the power they have on the people they come into contact with.”

As part of the school district’s new fitness program for students with special needs, that contact is becoming more frequent.

Since the program’s approval by the school board in June, special needs students at Bainbridge schools have begun regularly participating in a variety of activities, including soccer, dance, yoga and martial arts, with more programs to follow.

The goal, Steindorf said, is to meet state fitness requirements for students while finding new ways to assimilate special needs youths into the community.

That includes training by Steindorf and other educators for private instructors who have little experience working with challenged students.

It also includes the “Top Soccer” games held each Saturday at Woodward. During the games, students from regular classes serve as peer mentors for special needs students, who also learn and practice soccer during the school week.

The “buddies” work in tandem as part of the larger team.

“It feels like they’re all playing and being competitive,” Steindorf said. “But really the main goal is to help your buddy feel successful.”

That success, she said, has exceeded every expectation.

With little recruiting, students have showed up to volunteer their time. They offer encouragement and help one another. They make new friends. They have fun.

In fact, the program has been so popular that Steindorf and company now have up to four games going on simultaneously each week.

Though originally intended for Bainbridge students, Top Soccer has drawn parents from across the county whose children, absent such an opportunity, might otherwise veer toward inactivity and isolation.

A winning team

Steindorf has long been troubled by the slow withdrawal of her students from regular sports and activities.

“As they get older and sports get more competitive, many of them stop playing,” she said.

Disconnected, those students suffer from the absence of both physical activity and the social connections fostered by youth sports.

Even those students that continue to participate, she said, often lose interest because they lack the motor skills necessary to compete on the same level as their peers.

So Steindorf and others at the district, including paraeducator Karen Kilbane and teacher Linda Purdom, began looking for solutions.

One problem, Purdom said, is that many of the people who run sports and other community programs are uncertain how to incorporate children with special needs, even though they may recognize the importance of doing so.

“The kids need that connection,” she said. “They need the opportunity to get out and interact with the general population. When they do they find more acceptance and understanding, the barriers start breaking.”

Kilbane, whose 5-year-old daughter, Keara Callahan, has Down Syndrome, said she understands how such barriers arise.

“It can be intimidating for people,” she said. “At first they only see a disability. But as you get to know the kids, their disabilities fade and it’s their personalities that ultimately shine through.”

Before now, opportunities to make such a discoveries were scarce.

Staffed by Steindorf and para professionals, the new fitness program includes nine classes in seven buildings for about 80 students per week. It was boosted by grant money from the Bainbridge Education Support Team, is $5,000 cheaper than its predecessor program and serves three times as many students, Steindorf said.

“For kids who can’t access the full experience in a regular physical education class, this gets them moving,” Purdom said. “And it carries over into other areas as well. They learn to follow directions and be more independent. It also helps many of them to feel more comfortable in a group setting.”

Among those surprised by the program’s success is Jacob Sprague, one of Steindorf’s students.

Like Rawlings, Sprague never cared much for sports. But all that, he said, has changed since he started participating in Top Soccer.

Asked by Steindorf what he thinks of sports now that he’s gotten the chance to play, Sprague, with a broad smile, offered a fitting summary:

“I don’t like sports,” he said. “But I’m having so much fun.”