IOWA CITY — Gavin Brown faces Lauren Clapp, a Velcro paddle in his right hand.
“Do it the highest as you can!” he shouts.
Lauren, a sophomore at Regina High School, tosses a ball high in the air. Gavin holds the paddle out, laughing when the ball sticks to it.
“My turn,” the 8-year-old cries.
Swinging his arm, Gavin lets go. The ball flies backward instead of forward. Both Gavin and Lauren laugh.
It’s a Wednesday afternoon at Weber Elementary School, which means one thing for 16 Weber students and several high school and college-aged volunteers: Weber Dolphins Sports Camp.
The after-school activity is a hands-on program dedicated to teaching students the basics of four common sports: baseball, basketball, track and field, and soccer. The group meets for an hour every Wednesday, rotating through several stations designed to teach the basic skills of each sport. What sets this program apart from other sports camps, however, are the kids.
All participants are Weber students, but four, including Gavin, have an autism spectrum disorder. The sports camp is their opportunity to participate in a physical activity at their level, without pressure.
The program was created by Nolan Burns, 18. The idea came after playing catch with his 10-year-old brother, Peyton, who has ASD.
“He told me he wanted to play sports but couldn’t because of his autism spectrum disorder,” Nolan, a senior at Regina, said.
Overcoming challenges
Regular physical exercise helps promote physical and mental health, but for those with ASD, team sports come with more challenges than benefits. Youth coaches aren’t always trained to work with children on the spectrum. Likewise, teammates don’t always know how to react to a child who may exhibit stereotypical behaviors of a child with autism, such as flapping his arms when excited or frustrated.
Read More: <a href="http://thegazette.com/2013/05/18/weber-elementary-sports-camp-gets-kids-playing/">Weber Elementary sports camp gets kids playing</a>
