We signed him up last year for the kinder team through the YMCA, and as luck would have it, 5 of the 7 kids on the team were all from Pacheco! He had practices on Fridays and games on Saturdays. I was so curious to know how a kinder game would go and they were fun. One referee in particular was just awesome: he knew just the right balance of calling out excessive traveling (some kids just grabbed the ball hugging it and ran to the other end of the court) and letting little things slide.
And we appreciated the times where he held off the other players for just a second, to give Liam a chance to shoot, or dribble just a few seconds longer.
And we saw the difference in how Liam played during recess at school. He no longer just shot, but interacted more with the other kids. Passing, defending, etc. His teacher noticed that a boy on his team and also in his same class who hadn't interacted with Liam much now talked with him during lunch sometimes. As a parent, this is what tugs at our heart strings. This is why we value inclusion so much.
Mostly, Liam had fun.
So now Liam is in first grade, and he's a young first grader with his summer birthday. We looked forward to signing up again this year but found out that it was now a first/second grade combo team. My first thought was that there was too much of a developmental range their for Liam to fit in. By second grade, I thought, they are getting competitive. And fast. And maybe too aggressive. I asked the YMCA permission to let him try out two teams, the 1st/2nd and the kinder one. After the first week's practice I thought they were both all right but knew it was the game that would decide it for us.
Sure enough, it did not seem to be the right fit. He rolled on the floor on purpose. He got the ball and when everyone was calling out that it was time to pass, he froze, with all this noise coming at him. And then he passed to a boy in his kinder class, but on the other team. There are a lot of rules to remember in basketball, and it is a fast moving game!
So we will stick with the kinder team. As I said, we want him to enjoy it. But I can't help but wonder, how will it be next year? Will he be ready for the next age group? At what point will he just not be able to keep up with his peers? Will I resolve my conflicting feelings about Special Olympics? And I can't help but think way forward to high school. Will he be a "team helper", filling up water bottles for other players? Will we know the best ways to support him and help him to do whatever it is that makes him happy? How will it all play out? I hear about young people with DS who are aware enough of their (dis)ability to understand they can't quite keep up with typical peers and feel frustrated by this. Will that be him?
I've started reading a book called The Game of My Life about a high school student with autism who is the team manager of his school's basketball team and everything leading up to and around the last four minutes of the varsity game when he is invited out onto the court to help finish up the game and scores numerous shots. He has a high school who loves him and cheer thunderously in the stands. And most importantly, he is thrilled. This is what I want for Liam: acceptance for his unique strengths, real friendships, and his happiness.
