The gym at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, Virginia, was packed Saturday as 25 young athletes with disabilities took part in the school鈥檚 first adaptive baseball clinic.
The event was hosted by the school鈥檚 varsity baseball team and led by Andrew Haydon, a 17-year-old junior who created it. He said the idea grew from his experience with his 13-year-old brother, who has autism and other learning disabilities.
鈥淭his whole camp is deeply personal to me,鈥� Haydon said. 鈥淢y younger brother has autism and an array of learning disabilities.鈥�
He called his brother his “superhero” and credited his mother for encouraging him to turn the idea into reality.
Haydon said he wanted to give kids like his brother a chance to discover adaptive baseball.聽鈥淚 feel like this is a great opportunity to give kids like my little brother, who weren’t aware of adaptive leagues, a chance to get experience with adaptive baseball and maybe fall in love with baseball and continue playing,鈥� he said.
Twenty members of the school鈥檚 varsity baseball team volunteered as coaches, guiding the athletes through drills. Haydon鈥檚 brother Nick helped out in the sensory room.
鈥淚t’s a room where there’s fidgets. They’re supposed to help with kids if they get overwhelmed,鈥� Nick said.
The clinic was overseen by varsity baseball coach Jennifer Hammond, who said the team is focused on more than teaching skills.聽鈥淲e are realizing we’re not just helping shape baseball players, but we’re trying to shape good humans on and off the field,鈥� she said.
Parents filled the gym’s sidelines and watched as the young athletes worked on batting, running and throwing skills. Shannon LaBarbara brought her son Edison and said the clinic left her feeling encouraged.
鈥淚 feel very inspired,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his group of young men feels inclined and encouraged to do this and to bring inclusion to everything that they’re doing.鈥�
One athlete, Kai, seemed to know everyone there. His mother, Candita Sabavala, said the 13-year-old has always loved sports.聽鈥淲e drag him to his older brother’s games all the time, so it’s nice for him to be able to have something of his own,鈥� she said.
Between running, batting and throwing balls, 草莓传媒 asked Kai what he liked most about the baseball clinic.
With a laugh, Kai said “Everything.”
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