If you could share ONE thing about your own personal experience in AdaptED Sports, what would it be?
I joined my first sports team at nine years old, playing softball and continued throughout high school all through college. I played in inter murals and loved going to athletic events as an educator, I've been involved in high school and middle school athletics for 36 years. But I never gave much thought to students who didn't have opportunities to play because of barriers or obstacles that they had to endure until I met. Adam. Adam was a member of the Henry Hurricanes team and one of my former students, Adam would tell me all about the upcoming opponent that they were going to play. And on Friday, he wore his jersey on Saturday. It was game day and I had an opportunity to go watch him play on occasion. You see Adam struggled a bit walking and kept his head lowered, walking throughout the halls as difficult as it was for him. But when Adam got in that chair on Saturday jersey on game face ready, he was an absolute beast and he competed like no one else. See it was through that experience with Adam that it opened my eyes to what adapted sports offered to young people. So when I had the opportunity to work with Asp and the Henry Parks and Rec department coach Harlem Matthews to revive the program with the newly formed Georgia Storm. I was all in and these kids continue to inspire me to challenge me to do better and to provide opportunities by busting up barriers. It is an experience like no other one that I will always cherish.
