We all have our problems, in sports and in life.
For some, it could be as important as not getting into graduate school this year. Maybe you tore your ACL and are undergoing season-ending surgery. It could just be something as small as scuffing your new Sperrys Uptown last night. Regardless of what is going wrong in your life right now, I want you to do something for me - take a deep breath and smile.
Wondering why I'm asking you to do this? Just bear with me for a minute or two.
Sports have the power to bring out the best in all of us - emotions are brought to the forefront as we pour our heart and soul into a game we love. Athletic competition has the ability to help us in a number of ways: it improves our self-worth, enhances our self-image and provides us with hours of fun, whether we are viewing or playing. For those few hours, everything else in the world doesn't matter. You're in the zone. You're doing something you truly enjoy. But perhaps the greatest thing about sports is that it doesn't matter who you are or what your situation is, there's a venue for you to achieve your goals, however big or small.
One out of every 88 children in the U.S. will be born with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and for most of those kids, that perfect venue is much harder to come by. Though sports have that incredible capability to unite us, they can also divide us in an equal measure. From a young age, athletic ability defines how we view ourselves and others, and for many with an ASD, the intertwining of the athletic and social fabric of our lives often leaves a void that few of us truly understand.
I'm bringing this up because I was reading some literature last week on the upcoming Ohio Special Olympics, which will be held June 28 to 30 at The Ohio State University. We are occasionally made aware of inspirational stories from the autism community, and 90 percent of them are made possible through sports. Organizations such as Autism Speaks and the Special Olympics provide those venues I previously mentioned. In Ohio alone, there are approximately 200 local member organizations and over 24,000 athletes involved with the Special Olympics, and countless volunteers from all walks of life who help make the dreams of impaired athletes a reality.
On a wider scale, over four million athletes are involved with the Special Olympics in 170 countries. That's a massive number of people, but what's more impressive - and immeasurable - is the boost in self-esteem these athletes and their families gain through this organization.
The mission of the Special Olympics is "to provide year-round sports training and competition opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics contributes to the physical, social, and psychological development of the athletes. Through successful experiences in sports, they gain confidence and build a positive self-image which carries over into the classroom, home, job and community."
By fostering these positive attributes in friendly and meaningful competition, events such as the 2013 Ohio Games have and will continue to shift the focus from disability to ability, and help those affected with autism like my brother, Kurt, to share in the satisfaction of succeeding in sports. I maintain that of the countless sports organizations the world over, none are more important or essential to its members than the Special Olympics.
As for me, I will never cease to feel that rush of excitement and pure joy that I experience every time I step into a hockey rink or onto the lacrosse field, and I hope you know and embrace that feeling as well. Whether it's at the intramural, club, or varsity level, play like it's the last time you'll ever step foot on the court, the ice or the field. If you've got time or are looking for a way to give back and share with an amazing community of people, volunteer at a local Special Olympics event. But the easiest way you can make a difference right this moment is by loving the sports you play, appreciating the chances that you've been given to play them and respecting and supporting those who are courageous enough to try to do the same as you in the face of such adversity.
It's hard not to smile to yourself when you realize just how great the world of sports can be.
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