BHS hosted the second annual CVC Inclusive Sports Day on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
The first CVC Inclusive Sports Day was held last year at West Geauga High School, with multiple CVC schools sending student athletes to coach and play sports with participants who have special needs.
This year, Beachwood hosted the event.
“I was pretty adamant that I wanted this done every season, so I said ‘next year I’m gonna take it to Beachwood,’” Athletic Director Ryan Peters said. “We invited five schools to join us [this year].”
Participants practiced kicking a soccer ball, passing a football, as well as taking part in agility relay races.
Senior Probir Mukherjee as well as juniors Josh Rosenblitt, Cole Schriebman and Tyra Rogers-Moore and sophomores Lilah Droe and Lyndia Zheng served as student athlete coaches to the participants.
“I helped the kids learn how to play, run, catch and throw a football,” Schriebman said. “I think all of them had a great time and learned how to play and do new activities.”
Participants were able to develop their skills.
“I improved how to throw a football,” participant Aneyea Heard said.
Soccer player Lilah Droe saw the positive effect the event had for participants.
“I think it impacted the participants in a good way because they got to do something they don’t do on the regular,” she said. “I saw a lot of smiles.”
“I liked being able to play soccer and play some football too,” Participant Dani Klinerman said.
The event had a positive impact on the student coaches too.
“Seeing them happy made me happy,” Rosenblitt said.
After the sports, the participants and student athletes ate lunch together and bonded over the sports they just played.
“It was amazing,” Heard said. “I had so much fun.”
“It was super fun to also be able to eat lunch with the kids and be able to hang out with them in a natural setting,” Rosenblitt said. “They really enjoyed that part.”
The CVC Inclusive Sports Day has been held both years with the help of Empower Sports, a non-profit organization that hosts sports clinics for kids and teens with disabilities. They held their first clinic in 2012 and have had many more since then.
“They’re doing some phenomenal work,” Peters said.
The future of the Inclusive Sports Day is looking good. Peters would like to hold the Inclusive Sports Day during each sports season: fall, winter, and spring.
“As long as we’re involved with the Chagrin Valley Conference, it’ll be a yearly event,” Peters said.
