Bedford County, Virginia – A new program in Bedford County will ensure that no child, regardless of ability, is kept away from sports.
Bedford County Parks and Recreation Athletic Coordinator AJ Lacy is the one who came up with the idea for the Bedford County Adaptive Sports Program.
It helps children like 6-year-old Eli Dudley, who is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair.
“I never imagined something like this would happen, but I wish it would have happened,” said Matt Dudley, Eli's father.
“When you see him having fun, he's just having a normal childhood experience that every child deserves,” he added.
The program started last year with about seven kids playing basketball, then expanded to soccer and grew to 25 kids playing baseball this spring.
“In high school, I was Ms. Snyder's assistant. She taught the special needs physical education class. When I got the job at Parks and Rec, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. I thought that was it,” Lacey said.
The team name is Warriors.
They have group practices every Sunday with coach Amanda Craig.
“It just brings back the love for the sport. It's not competitive at the end of the day. It's just about having fun. It reminds me of when I was little, playing outside with my little friends, and that's exactly what it feels like. ” Craig said.
This program not only makes Eli and other kids like him smile, but also their own families, like Eli's father.
“When I first saw him out on the tee ball field in his little uniform, I kind of teared up,” Dudley said.
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