How kids can start on the path toward the Special Olympics

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Percy Goodwin loves golf and running. Golf is inspired by his paternal grandfather, a senior golf champion, and running is just something the seven-year-old, who has Down Syndrome, really enjoys. So his mother, Jennifer Pierce, recently started taking him to FUNdamentals, a Special Olympics Canada program, to help him develop the skills he needs for the sports he loves.

“Percy is a very sporty kid, so we were always sure we’d want to do sports with him,” says Ms. Pierce. “He loves FUNdamentals. Everything is structured for his ability. He loves running, but one of the things about his running is that he doesn’t run in a straight line. So they had this wonderful session where he had to chase a hula hoop, which really helped guide him. It was the first time I saw him intentionally go in the right direction. They’re just in tune with his abilities and his needs.”

FUNdamentals is one of two initiatives developed by Special Olympics Canada to help children with intellectual disabilities develop basic motor and sport skills while having fun.

FUNdamentals, for ages 7 to 12, focuses on basic movement such as running, kicking, throwing and catching, actions that can be transferred to sport and used in everyday tasks.

Its counterpart, Active Start, for ages 2 to 6, introduces younger children to sport by developing play skills through movement. Benefits include improvement in their physical, social and cognitive abilities, as well as increased self-esteem and a sense of belonging, the organization says.

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The programs encourage a healthy, active lifestyle and provide a base for Special Olympics sports training and competition as the athletes grow older.

The Toronto location where Percy and his mom attend sessions combines both FUNdamentals and Active Start, held weekly throughout the school year. Debora Gemmell, corporate partnerships manager for the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and Patrick Kinnucane, who works with special-needs individuals, are volunteer coaches who lead the program.

“I’ve seen amazing progress,” says Ms. Gemmell. “Particularly for kids with disabilities or who are differently abled, the sooner you can get them to start working on their motor skills and social skills, the better. When they’re that little, they’re just so open to everything that they learn very quickly.”

“You can see a big difference in the older kids, as well,” adds Mr. Kinnucane, who has been a volunteer with Special Olympics Ireland as well as in Canada. “They’ve come a long way in their confidence, as well as physical skills. It also helps develop their cognitive abilities because they have to think what they’re going to do next when running or kicking the ball. So they’re learning new skills all the time, as well as how to be social with their peers – having to wait in line to take turns, helping each other and sharing.”

Ms. Gemmell says the children coming in are often shy, which makes some of the parents uncomfortable when their kids won’t participate.

“I just tell them not to worry about it,” Ms. Gemmell says. “Let them run around. They’ll have their own way of familiarizing themselves. I know that in a few weeks they’ll come and join us.”

“When a new child comes in, to make them feel important, I always drop down on my knees because I want to be on their level when I’m talking to them,” says Mr. Kinnucane. “I reassure them that they’re going to have a fun time, that everything’s going to be okay because mum and dad are here and your siblings are here. Then I try to find something that they like doing, like bouncing a ball.”

One of the key components that makes the Active Start and FUNdamentals programs so successful is that the parents are hands-on. They don’t just drop the kids off, but participate, so every child has at least one helper.

“The vast majority of the athletes have their entire family there – mother, father and siblings,” says Ms. Gemmell. “We welcome everybody. It’s a great evening for them to spend with their family and it celebrates the athlete. Active Start and FUNdamentals are something they get to do themselves, and that their family gets to see them do. It’s something where they’re involved and not left behind in the schoolyard.”

The program includes children who do not have intellectual disabilities, which has benefits for all involved, and including parents and siblings helps make sure things go smoothly for the athletes.

“The siblings are really great, especially if we’re playing soccer or football,” she says. “The older kids who participate with us are really good at making sure that the young athletes get the ball and their chance to participate.”

Ms. Pierce believes it is absolutely integral that parents and siblings are involved because they know the children best and can help guide them.

“I believe integration is a philosophy of life,” she say. “But while integration is important through the siblings, the interaction with other kids like my son is important, too. There are no other kids with Down Syndrome in his school. He’s fine with that so far. But I do want him to have friends who are like him.

“It’s also an opportunity for me to talk to the other parents. It’s a huge resource for us. If I’m having an issue with his school, I can talk to somebody who understands. There’s a lot of networking and sharing of information. It’s a whole support system.”

With the Special Olympics Canada 2018 Summer Games taking place in Antigonish, N.S., from July 31 to Aug. 4, many of the parents are aware of what their children can go on to do with Special Olympics. There will be competition in nine summer sports, including athletics, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, softball and swimming.

“The long-term goal would be that they continue in sports and get to competition level,” says Mr. Kinnucane. “Wouldn’t it be marvelous if some of them went on to represent Ontario at the national games or Canada at the Special Olympics world games?

“That’s probably too far ahead for the children at the moment, but I’m sure mum or dad may be thinking that. The parents are well tuned in to Special Olympics and will be following the games, hoping someday their son or daughter could be part of that. It’s a huge achievement.”