July 23, 2019 at 11:34PM
For one day, the rivalries between the three Westerville high schools were put on hold for a special cause.
Westerville's Central, North and South football programs, along with members of the Central and South cheerleading teams and Otterbein football team, joined forces to assist young athletes with special needs.
The first All-Westerville Inclusive Football and Cheerleading Camp was held June 27 at Central for students with developmental or physical disabilities.
Central coach Brent Morrison, who helped organize the free event, said there were 30 registrants. He hopes that number grows as the event continues.
"As intense as it gets on the field, we all think that Westerville is a special place and we want to give back to it, and this is just a great opportunity to do that," Morrison said.
Also assisting were adult volunteers trained to support individuals with special needs.
For 5-year-old Austin Evans of Upper Arlington, the day was action-packed as he had the opportunity to try on jerseys and equipment, followed by participating in football drills led by coaches and players.
"Everything was fun," said Evans, who walks and runs with the assistance of crutches and leg braces. He also uses a walker and wheelchair.
"Austin participates in a lot of different things," said his mother, Meredith. "He does sled hockey. He plays with a team called the Ohio Blades. It's an adaptive form of hockey. He has a racing wheelchair, so he's learning to manage that as well. He's getting into some more of these types of activities. There have been a lot of football opportunities. He's very social about it."
South football coach Matthew Christ also hopes the event will grow.
"It's a great community event," he said. "It's something that we can grow. The first year you try to get the ball rolling a little bit. It sounds like we have an opportunity with Special Olympics to align things better with their activities. This is rewarding not only for the young athletes, but for our high school athletes across the board."
For South player Michael Mansaray, the camp was a chance to give back to the community.
"This is Westerville," he said. "We're showing love to the community, to everybody. My message to (the campers) was to stay positive, keep on doing what you love and follow your heart because that will take you as long as you want to go."
Lauren Perry, a special education teacher at Central, also helped organize the event.
"It's nice that we can put all rivalries behind us and come together as one to help out a population that needs to be included more and more," Perry said. "This is amazing to see and I'm really proud of all the students here and all the coaches."
Each camper received a commemorative T-shirt, and a barbecue was held after the event.
fdirenna@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekFrank
For one day, the rivalries between the three Westerville high schools were put on hold for a special cause.
Westerville's Central, North and South football programs, along with members of the Central and South cheerleading teams and Otterbein football team, joined forces to assist young athletes with special needs.
The first All-Westerville Inclusive Football and Cheerleading Camp was held June 27 at Central for students with developmental or physical disabilities.
Central coach Brent Morrison, who helped organize the free event, said there were 30 registrants. He hopes that number grows as the event continues.
"As intense as it gets on the field, we all think that Westerville is a special place and we want to give back to it, and this is just a great opportunity to do that," Morrison said.
Also assisting were adult volunteers trained to support individuals with special needs.
For 5-year-old Austin Evans of Upper Arlington, the day was action-packed as he had the opportunity to try on jerseys and equipment, followed by participating in football drills led by coaches and players.
"Everything was fun," said Evans, who walks and runs with the assistance of crutches and leg braces. He also uses a walker and wheelchair.
"Austin participates in a lot of different things," said his mother, Meredith. "He does sled hockey. He plays with a team called the Ohio Blades. It's an adaptive form of hockey. He has a racing wheelchair, so he's learning to manage that as well. He's getting into some more of these types of activities. There have been a lot of football opportunities. He's very social about it."
South football coach Matthew Christ also hopes the event will grow.
"It's a great community event," he said. "It's something that we can grow. The first year you try to get the ball rolling a little bit. It sounds like we have an opportunity with Special Olympics to align things better with their activities. This is rewarding not only for the young athletes, but for our high school athletes across the board."
For South player Michael Mansaray, the camp was a chance to give back to the community.
"This is Westerville," he said. "We're showing love to the community, to everybody. My message to (the campers) was to stay positive, keep on doing what you love and follow your heart because that will take you as long as you want to go."
Lauren Perry, a special education teacher at Central, also helped organize the event.
"It's nice that we can put all rivalries behind us and come together as one to help out a population that needs to be included more and more," Perry said. "This is amazing to see and I'm really proud of all the students here and all the coaches."
Each camper received a commemorative T-shirt, and a barbecue was held after the event.
fdirenna@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekFrank