Adapted sports are an important opportunity for students in the special education program. They give these students the chance to meet new people, learn new games, and compete alongside their friends. In recent years the South adapted soccer team has been very successful placing top 3 at state two years in a row. Photo courtesy of: Harmony Anderson

The adapted sports program at South is an integral way for special needs students to be exposed to new social and athletic opportunities that are often overlooked. The program is a great way to give special needs students the chance to connect with other students through sports.

Head coach, Gregory Smith, says “It’s a big social thing for them [the kids], just to get to meet new people who they probably wouldn’t normally get a chance to meet.” This part of the program is essential for students who struggle socially. When asked about his favorite part of the job, Smith said “Oh, it’s definitely seeing the kids get so happy when they’re having fun, and I don’t think that’d happen without the social aspect.”

However, the social aspect of adapted sports is just one variable. This program provides its participants with the opportunities to learn games they’ve ended up loving. It’s a low-risk environment for them to get into athletics and they can choose how competitive they want to be with it. Smith says “Even the competitions are all friendly, the kids just love meeting other kids from nearby schools.”

In 2022 the adapted soccer team placed 3rd at state, and in 2023 they made it all the way to the finals but got second after losing to the Robbinsdale high school team. The recent success of the team is largely due to the kids’ enjoyment of it. Smith states “I think we just happened to get a group of kids who love to have fun competing.” According to Smith, the main focuses of this program are “having fun, socializing, and competing.” and the current group loves to do all 3. Because of that, they push themselves to get better and try to do as well as possible.

Recent changes to South have led to budget cuts for many programs, however, the special ed program hasn’t faced many serious changes regarding their budget. Smith hopes that as the program continues to grow and get more attention it will start bringing in more donations, but they’re “getting by just fine as it is right now.” In recent months, adaptive sports have been getting more interest from students who might join the program, which is a step in the right direction for everyone involved.