The challenges and joys of raising special needs athletes

New York: Jasour – News Desk

Hillcrest High’s players are greeted at the regional unified soccer tournament from Copper Hills’s mascot. Murray High parent Kim Domiguez used to watch other mothers taxi their kids from one practice to another. Then, while her oldest, Braedon, was in high school, Special Olympics introduced unified sports and Murray High was one of the first Utah schools to jump on board. 

Coed soccer and basketball were the first sports, now track and field, swimming and e-sports are options at the high school. The athletes with differing abilities are joined with partners, often peer tutors, to play alongside each other on the same team. “It used to be that we came up with stuff to do on our own, but now with unified sports, we’re busy,” she said. “I can tell you from a special needs parent’s standpoint, I now understand what soccer moms go through. Unified sports definitely keeps kids involved.”

While Braedon has graduated, he is a constant face on the sidelines of four unified sports, cheering on his brother, Reilly, or more commonly called, Turbo. The high school junior nicknamed himself after the Dreamworks movie, “Turbo,” when he first saw the movie at age 6. “The only person who he allows to call him Reilly is his brother,” his mother said. While Domiguez may have an idea of what typical parents do to shuffle their kids and prepare them for competition, not many understand preparing a unified athlete to play.

At Murray, unified soccer and basketball athletes practice 90 minutes once per week. “As parents, we get their bags ready and then, some of us help the teachers get their gear on, make sure their shoes are tied and are ready for practice. Most of the kids complain about it, asking ‘why do we have to do it?’ It’s outside of their comfort zone. But once they get there, they love it,” she said. 

“As parents, we get their bags ready and then, some of us help the teachers get their gear on, make sure their shoes are tied and are ready for practice. Most of the kids complain about it, asking ‘why do we have to do it?’ It’s outside of their comfort zone. But once they get there, they love it,” she said.