Photo credit – Matt Meduri
To offer sports and physical activity to Smithtown’s differently abled children, the Smithtown Youth Bureau partnered with the Sports Arena in St. James to hold its second All Abilities All-Star Program as part of the bureau’s Adaptive Sports Program.
The program consists of seven weeks of sports geared towards youth ages six to seventeen with various disabilities, who would otherwise face steeper barriers to participation in traditional sports programs. On top of physical fitness and sports participation, the youth also enjoy team-oriented exercises, social and emotional conditioning, as well as general camaraderie and enjoyment.
Kids were offered one-hour weekly sessions to hone their skills in basketball, flag football, kickball, soccer, volleyball, and wiffleball. The program was held Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer and split participants into three age brackets: Kindergarten through second grade, third grade through fifth grade, and eighth through twelfth grade.
The Messenger took the sidelines of the turf at the Sports Arena to catch the athletes in action and learn more about the program in its final week of operation.
“This is funded through a sports grant that was passed down from the State to the County. The grant allowed us to create this program. I reached out to the Sports Arena just knowing their reputation and seeing family members participate in sports here,” Janine Marc-Anthony, Executive Director for the Smithtown Youth Bureau, told The Messenger. “I spoke to the Arena to see how we could work together and what was needed to create this program.”
Marc-Anthony praised the Sports Arena staff and coaches who helped craft the program, as well as the special education teacher on staff to help with other unforeseen needs.
“The Arena handpicked their staff to be here for this. All the staff were patient, kind, and very accepting to all the students. Students could not only learn the sports, but feel comfortable doing it at their own pace,” said Marc-Anthony.
Marc-Anthony said that she worked with Sports Arena Manager Susan Stanley to see what sports they could provide and on what schedule the program could be held. She also said that while the Adaptive Sports Program has been run before, the Youth Bureau “went a different route” this year to incorporate “more sports” and focus on “learning different things.”
Marc-Anthony says that eighty-eight students registered, but that the waitlist was much longer.
Despite the Youth Bureau serving the Town of Smithtown, the program was opened up county-wide.
“We reached out to the Special Education PTAs (SEPTAs) and regular PTAs and the administration in the school districts. Our newsletter goes out to about 8,000 people, so we have a large reach that way,” said Marc-Anthony. School districts included in the coordination were Smithtown Central, Hauppauge, Commack, and Kings Park. Although most students hailed from Smithtown, the reach of the program extended far beyond its borders, incorporating kids from Centereach, Centerport, Cold Spring Harbor, Medford, and Ridge.
Marc-Anthony also spoke highly of the Town Council’s role in the program, namely the Council’s liaison to the Disabilities Advisory Board, Councilwoman Lisa Inzerillo (R-Kings Park), as the Council must approve the establishment of the program before the Bureau and its partners can break ground.
“This program really encompasses just how special and altruistic our Smithtown Youth Bureau is. It’s been an inspiration to witness the success of this truly unique offering from our Smithtown Youth Bureau, the happy faces, laughter, and pure joy each week on kids and their parents alike,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park). “This program; along with Smithtown Recreation’s Camp SMILE, provides our most resilient youth with the core memories every child should have as a part of growing up in our community. Our administration has made a point to improve our parks facilities, access and seasonal programming specifically so that residents of all ages with developmental or physical disabilities can enjoy the same activities and grounds without barriers. The Adaptive Sports program has been such a success that our administration is already looking into offering this truly one-of-a-kind program more frequently throughout the calendar year.”
The program includes students with autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, and other disabilities that might preclude them from participating in a traditional sports setting.
“We also had students with physical disabilities as well, so it all really depends on how comfortable the students are with the setting and who wants to participate,” said Marc-Anthony.
With a large reception that extended past Smithtown’s borders, the Smithtown Youth Bureau and the Sports Arena might have captured lightning in a bottle with their Adaptive Sports Program.
The Sports Arena is located at 620 Middle Country Road in St. James. The Smithtown Youth Bureau can be reached at 631-360-7595 or by visiting them online at www.smithtownny.gov/215/Youth-Bureau.
