Watching children with special needs play sports with confidence in themselves is why Katy Curnutte finds being part of RallyCap Sports so gratifying.
“Beforehand, I worked with special needs kids, but (RallyCap) really opened my eyes to all the different disabilities and what those kids can do,” Curnutte, a junior studying Spanish and the vice president of OU’s RallyCap chapter, said. “I just think it’s super rewarding to see them be so confident and work hard toward something they really enjoy.”
RallyCap Sports is a national organization that provides recreational sports for children and young adults with special needs through a volunteer-driven group. In 2014, RallyCap Sports set out to create regional chapters at universities across the nation to expand the opportunities for people of all abilities to come together for recreation and fun across the country.
RallyCap Sports became an Ohio University club three years ago when Curnutte’s roommate’s cousin started the regional chapter. Curnutte has shadowed teachers with special needs children in their classrooms, so joining OU’s RallyCap chapter was an opportunity to gain more experience with special needs children before becoming a teacher.
“If I want to be a future teacher, RallyCap might make me more comfortable working with special needs kids, because it’s not something everybody can do,” Curnutte said. “It definitely takes some patience and skill. You have to be very sympathetic and understanding.”
Each semester, OU’s chapter holds four to six week seasons where children are tasked with playing one sport. In the past, children have played basketball and soccer, but a lot of what Curnutte and other volunteers teach the children is up to their own discretion.
“We try and teach them rules to do scrimmaging, but some days they might not want to play an organized sport,” Curnutte said. “So we’ve done kickball instead of a real game of soccer. A lot of it is letting them do it their own way. We’re like observers, but with a little bit of push.”
For many children with special needs, it’s hard for them to feel like they fit in, but playing a sport and putting their own spin on it is something Curnutte thinks they benefit from in a multitude of ways.
“I think (RallyCap) gives them a place they feel like they can belong,” Curnutte said. “It also helps them work on their social skills while also having fun and playing a game they probably didn’t think they could play before.”
RallyCap is not only fun for the children, but for the student volunteers as well. It’s an opportunity Curnutte believes everyone should look into being part of.
“No matter what major you are, it’s super rewarding to see everything happen,” Curnutte said. “You’re also meeting new people and you get to play sports.”
Julia Koehler, a junior studying exercise physiology and the president of OU’s RallyCap chapter, joined her freshman year when her cousin peaked her interested in a new club on campus.
Since Koehler’s membership with the club, she has helped children with special needs run through drills, showing them what to do and participating in scrimmages with the children. As president, she hopes to expand the recreational activities to more physical education games, like capture the flag, four corners and kickball.
“I really want to do the (physical education) stuff because we can be outside on a field,” Koehler said. “I might talk to some intramural sports to see if we can rent out their equipment or fields. I also think kids would like being outside more too.”
OU’s chapter is focusing heavily on getting more people with special needs to join RallyCap, so Koehler is working on putting the word out about the program in the Athens area.
“I really want to make it big before I leave next year,” Koehler said. “I have principals’ phone numbers to elementary schools, so I’m going to contact them. We’ve also fundraised and raised $250 so the kids can do it for free, so hopefully that’ll make a big impact.”
Koehler hopes to bring more interested children to the sessions so she and the other volunteers can help them enjoy sports like any other child.
“Usually we do it on Sunday’s, and on Sunday’s everyone’s usually tired and down, but every time we have the session, I literally smile all the time,” Koehler said. “It brightens my day just seeing them so happy and having fun no matter what. It kind of motivates me to always stay positive.”
Mallory Kelley, a freshman studying communication sciences and disorders, volunteered with RallyCap for her first time this past semester, and it’s a club she plans to be part of throughout college.
“I hadn’t done anything like it before. It just sounded fun,” Kelley said. “It was really special to me helping people out who aren’t able to do what people like us are able to do, so I’m looking forward to the start of the next season already.”
