By John DiColo

John DiColo, CMAA, is Athletic Director at Jefferson Township High School in Oak Ridge, N.J. He also serves as President of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference and is on the faculty for NIAAA Leadership Training Courses. He can be reached at: jdicolo@jefftwp.org.

Several years ago we were all moved by the video clip of Jason McElwain, the autistic student who was the manager for the Greece Athena High School boys' basketball team in Rochester, N.Y. Jason came off the bench in his team's final home game and proceeded to drain six long-range shots, scoring 20 points in four minutes. After the final buzzer, he was carried off the court by his classmates.

It was an emotional high that I will always remember, and it made me realize there was a population of students like Jason in my own school who were not being served by the athletic department. I showed that video to all our coaches and they too were moved. I then asked them to open their teams to special needs students, and they have responded in a huge way.

My goal was to enhance inclusionary practices within our athletic programs, providing our special needs students with the same experiences the rest of our athletes enjoy. Some of the obvious benefits include a healthier body, social and emotional development, leadership skills, cooperation and team-building, and school spirit. What I didn't anticipate is the positive influence it would have on our athletes and coaches.

Over the past few years, several of our teams have included special needs students in their programs. Let me describe a few of their stories so you can fully understand the impact.

A NEW STROKE
Last year as a member of our swim team, Dougie would enter the pool by simply jumping in. He would sink to the bottom, push off to get his head above water and catch a breath, and then sink down again. That's how he got from one end of the pool to the other and it took him about 15 minutes to complete one 25-meter lap.

Much to my surprise, when I attended a swim meet this past year, our coach had entered Dougie as the anchor leg on one of our 200-meter freestyle relay teams. I am not going to shock you and reveal that Dougie had the kind of night McElwain had, nor am I going to tell you that he broke a school record.

But I can tell you that if you looked at the faces of his teammates who had gathered at the edge of the pool and were yelling for Dougie to finish strong, and if you heard the roar of the crowd when he hit the wall, you would not have been able to control your emotions. Every so often during the race when Dougie took a breath, he would look up out of the water and give his mother and the entire crowd the biggest grin. We all matched his smile and had tears in our eyes at the same time.

ADDING RICHES
Two years ago, our head football coach, who is a special education teacher in our district, welcomed two of his students as team managers. These two young men, both named Rich, were at every practice and every game.

They would carry large water jugs and equipment out to every practice, fill water bottles and give them to the players during time outs, and generally do anything the coaches or players asked of them. I am sure our coach wishes that every one of his players were as dedicated and committed as these two.

At the postseason banquet the coach distributed awards and Rich and Rich each received their first varsity letter. This meant they could purchase a varsity jacket, which both of them wore proudly. One of the boys' fathers asked if he could purchase a football jersey so he could put his son's name on the back along with his favorite number. When students returned to school after the holidays, I remember seeing Rich in the hallways, wearing the jersey for all to see. He continued to wear the jersey every single day!

CHAMPIONSHIP STRUT
Last football season we had another special needs student serve as a manager, and he became friends with everyone on the squad. It just so happened that our team went on an amazing run that ended in a state championship--and Jeremy was a big part of it.

After every win, home or away, our team would visit the "Rock," a memorial to a former longtime coach at our school. At the "Rock," the coach would hand out game balls, the band would play, and the cheerleaders would perform. All the fans would also make a tunnel for our players and coaches to walk through.

After one very big win, I noticed that the person leading the team through the tunnel was Jeremy. His proud smile and big strut made everyone laugh and appreciate the entire experience in a much larger way. We were all so proud of the team and the players for their performance, but it was Jeremy who stole the show.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
These are just a few examples of the inclusion of special needs students into our athletic programs and the impact it has on everyone's lives. And I am sure there are hundreds of other examples across the country. What is most important about these stories is that each and every one of them represents a success--including the child made a difference in his life and in the lives of those around him.

It is not very often that we as athletic administrators get a chance to do something for the "non-athletes" in our buildings. These students may never be the stars of our teams, but many are eager to be a part of an athletic program. It can mean the world to a child. In the cases I shared above, the special needs students were not the best athletes in our school, but they were our shining stars.