Editor:
I have two sons who are part of the White Rock Titans football team; we joined this year at the Midget Level.
Being new to a team at this level can be hard because a lot of team building has been established. However, this organization welcomed my boys and me with open arms.
The reason this is important is because not only did they welcome, coach and help my youngest son develop as a player and a young man, but they also took my oldest son under their wing.
My oldest son has Down syndrome, and the first week that we joined the team they asked if he might be their waterboy. They gave him a jersey – #37 – and took him with them on the sidelines at every game and made him a part of their team. He was embraced as a member of this organization and became a part of their community.
They laughed when he drummed instead of bringing water, they embraced his dance moves on the field at times and they let him run onto the field with his team.
They encouraged him, supported him, and then thanked him at the end of the year.
I want you to know what an impact this has had on him. He feels special, and not because he has Downs, but because he is Nick. And he wears his jersey with pride and loves his team.
So, to all of the coaches, the players, the team parents and the people who run this organization, you have impacted our lives with your kindness and sincerity.
You have given a very special gift to my son – you made him a part of your world without questioning its relevance. You did it because you wanted to, and that doesn’t always happen in his life.
So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Michelle Oram, Surrey