As a father, I did a poor job at dealing with my son. The Special Olympics taught me how to deal with my son, and now he is my best friend. We do everything together. |
Coach L is a teacher who teaches life to these guys. There's definite respect. He knows what he is talking about. He has more confidence in Chris than Chris has in himself. That means a lot to me. |
He told me it was for all you've done for me throughout the years. |
I am the parent of Steven, a mentally [challenged] kid. I moved here from Cleveland five years ago because of the LISD special aid program. Back in Cleveland, my son did not have any friends or anything to do. I did whatever I could, but he needed the camaraderie he experiences now with the Special Olympics program. |
That play changed the course of the game. If Gerald doesn't get to that ball, who knows how the second half would have went. |
The program also taught my kid how to be a man. He is now conscious about how he looks and he does things now that he would never have done before. This summer, for instance, he got his first job at the golf course. |
This is a big thing with us. We are very close. If this had been the NIT, it would have been just as big. Anything we do, we make a big deal out of. |
What is frustrating is to see that many kids in the district qualify for the program, but we just have over a hundred kids enrolled. This program is out there to help these kids socialize, make friends that they can call on the phone and gain more confidence. |