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2010
Redefining Special
Needs
The Special Olympics Flag
Football Tournament at Harvard
Jehan deFonseka (NB),
Section Representative
On October 17, 2010, over 150 athletes in 12 teams from around
Massachusetts descended upon the Harvard playing fields for a
flag football tournament organized jointly by Special Olympics
Massachusetts and students from HKS and HBS.
In addition, over 100 volunteers from HBS and HKS helped to
referee the games, set up the fields, and encouraged each of the
teams from the sidelines along with the athletes' parents,
friends, and other supporters. The fact that these young
athletes had various physical and mental handicaps was
overshadowed by the spirit of the day-an environment in which
individuals were not patronized for their disabilities, but
instead were challenged to run faster, throw farther, and make
the same high-pressure catches of any other competitor. |
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This environment,
according to Jay O'Brien, Assistant Vice President of Corporate
Development of Special Olympics Massachusetts, is what the
Special Olympics is trying to achieve. He described, "We're
trying to bring people with special needs out of their homes and
institutions and off their couches and into the light to change
people's perceptions." From many accounts, this small event
succeeded in its goal for both the athletes and volunteers, and
provided for an entertaining, educational, and at times
emotional morning.
Motivating
the Event
Planning for the flag football tournament began in the Spring,
facilitated by Jennifer Choi (NB, HKS) along with the Special
Needs Caucus, an HKS club which she co-founded last year, as
well as the Student Public Service Collaborative (SPSC) and
Special Olympics Massachusetts. Choi was motivated to enter HKS
and HBS, and to start the Special Needs Caucus in part because
her younger brother Simon has Prader-Willi Syndrom, a genetic
condition whose symptoms include obsessive compulsive hunger and
mental retardation. As Choi described in a presentation to
Section B earlier this Fall, "Imagine how it feels to not eat
for a day. Now imagine how it feels to not eat for two days.
That is how my brother feels every moment of his life." Though
doctors had declared that he would not be able to learn even
basic skill, through dedicated efforts by Choi and her family,
Choi's brother can now read and write. It was this experience
that showed Choi that, given the right care, individuals with
special needs were much more capable than was perceived. |
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Now, Choi has
loftier goals to help other individuals with special needs just
as she and her mother helped her brother. Her long-term
objective is to affect public policy as it relates to providing
for individuals with special needs. By organizing events which
expose students of HBS and HKS to individuals with special
needs, Choi hopes that, if presented with a situation involving
special needs in the future, these students will reflect on
these specific past experiences when making their decision and
to not be biased by what society has previously prescribed for
individuals with disabilities. Choi said, "If I can get everyone
to just take an extra minute to consider special needs issues,
then it will be worth it."
Experiences at the Event
The flag football tournament held at Harvard provided the
athletes a great venue to demonstrate the football skills which
they had developed after weeks of training. From observing the
athletes, it was difficult to imagine that, according to Robert
Johnson, CEO of Special Olympics Massachusetts, "Society did not
believe that individuals with special needs could understand the
rules of sports, the idea of teamwork, or the concept of fair
play." As described by Ben Story (NB), "The event was real-there
were real rules, real competition…which is important because it
shows both these athletes and observers that these individuals
are as capable as anyone else." |
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The tournament
provided a unique and personal experience for each student
volunteer as they interacted with a particular team. Students
were involved in every aspect of the day's events, from cheering
on teams, helping out in training sessions prior to the
competition, cheering from the sidelines, or simply talking and
getting to know to special needs individuals and their families.
Though each volunteer interacted with different individuals,
certain commonalities remained-each student came away with a
sense of hope and joy for participating in the events. As
described by Story, "When I woke up in the morning, I was
exhausted. After being here with these athletes, I am full of
energy. This was the best way to spend a Sunday morning, and it
was nothing like what I expected."
What Next?
For Choi, the Special Needs Caucus, the SPSC, and Special
Olympics Massachusetts, this event is just one small step in an
ongoing movement to change perceptions on how society sees
individuals with special needs, and how individuals with special
needs see themselves. An encouraging statistic for Jay O'Brien
of Special Olympics Massachusetts is that the life expectancy of
individuals with Down's Syndrome, a genetic disorder which
limits cognitive ability and physical growth, has increased from
26 to 60 within the last 50 years. According to Obrien, the
Special Olympics and related organizations have played a role in
this improvement "by helping individuals with special needs live
longer, healthier, happier lives through the power of sport." |
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However, as
described by Robert Johnson, CEO of Special Olympics
Massachusetts, much work is left to do. The goal of the Special
Olympics organization worldwide is to grow from serving 3.5
million individuals to serving 5 million individuals. Both
volunteer time and financial donations are always appreciated.
The Special Olympics Summer Games will be held in June at
Harvard, and many events are held throughout the state each
weekend.
If you would like get involved in programs involving individuals
with special needs, contact Jennifer Choi (jchoi@mba2012.hbs.edu)
or visit
http://www.SpecialOlympicsMA.org.
AUTHOR'S
BIOGRAPHY
Jehan
deFonseka is the Section B Harbus Representative. |
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