My son has 2 teams he is playing for.One is a 7th grade school team and the other is a ABA rec ball league.1 game a week and 1 practice a week.Anyone can sign up and play. Well,on this rec team we have an autistic child that is a sweet heart of a kid but has something he battles everyday. The whole team has taken this kid under their wing so to speak and loves playing with him.Not the norm in this day and age for a bunch of 11-12 year olds to do but great to witness. Our team is very talented otherwise and we have been winning every game by 20 or so and we pull our best players early.It seems the whole season has been about getting this particular child a basket and my son told me last night he would sit the whole 4rth quarter and let this kid play for him.Well,my son was pulled as was another kid(probably best player in the league) early in the 4rth and when we did that,the other coach told his players to back off the autistic child and let him shoot,considering we already had the game well in hand. I am helping coach so I had a front row seat to what was going on and felt this was the day and was fortunate to get in on video.Hope you enjoy it as much as the whole gym did.Check out the kid patting him on the back down the floor after the shot.
As someone who works with the developmentally disabled.... that was a joy for me to watch .... Thank God for people like you and those boys, T!!!
That's awesome from all sides, but be especially proud of your kid for possessing traits that are very rare in todays youth. :D
My son has had a hard time getting playing time in school ball,he is a 3 or 4 spot player skill set with 2 guard size so he hasn't quite grown into his skill set.So on defense he can be a liability at times on a 7th grade team where many kids have already hit their growth spurt.He had just come from a game that he got NO playing time in and we were eating when he told me that he would sit the 4rth for this kid to have a full quarter to have a chance to score. I thought to myself that he gets it.He is a star in rec ball and was willing to give up his playing time for someone else.I was proud to say the least.My son led his team in scoring today with 13 and we had 2 others with 12 but none of those meant anywhere near as much as the TWO the one kid had. We were eating at a local restaurant and as soon as he told me that,his rec team coach walked in and we discussed how we would get this kid to score right at that point. Sometimes things are just meant to happen.
On a side note,I wish all kids would listen as well as this kid does when we tell them to KEEP THEIR HANDS UP on defense.Watch the video again and notice how his hands are up.He will do this the whole time he is in there.
