This is the latest blog entry from the Colorado Rapids Special Olympics Unified Team, brought to you by Cardel Homes. This entry was crafted by Kaly Warner, the head coach of the Special Olympics Colorado Unified team following their trip to Washington D.C. for their second game of the 2018 season.
When Dallas was younger, his mom worked for an airline, so he was able to ride his first plane to Colorado Springs - about a 50 minute flight from Aurora, CO. This past Thursday however, Dallas flew out of Colorado for the first time. This time it was to Washington DC, a three and a half hour flight. In order to ease his nerves, Dallas joked with his friend, Nate, about how this would be like the Boomerang roller coaster at Elitch Gardens. They laughed together in anxious anticipation. Dallas leaned forward in his seat, staring out the window, and the plane started to rumble down the runway. The tarmac began to whiz past as the force of the acceleration gently pushed Dallas back into his seat. He gripped the armrests, trying to squeeze his 6’4” frame as tight as he could into the uncomfortably small space. The rumble quickly became a roar and Dallas glanced at Nate, who was avoiding the window, trying to tell himself everything would be okay. Suddenly, the plane angled upward and there was a soothing feeling of weightlessness as we entered the low hanging clouds. Looking wide-eyed at the surrounding sky, a smile appeared on Dallas’ face and he asked if he could eat the clouds. “Yeah, that would be fun. I bet they taste like rainbows,” Dallas thought.
The trip was full of those types of nervous, excited, anticipatory experiences for our unified soccer team. Those times where you step outside of your comfort zone to try something new and although it might be scary at first, you gain confidence and strength by overcoming your fear. This is really what our entire experience has been like with Unified Sports and the MLS Exchange Program. Students with disabilities are finally able to play on a competitive sports team with typical peers and feel the rush of stepping onto a field with a stadium of cheering fans. Typical peers step into a role and culture they have not known before - experiencing what it’s like to work with people with disabilities and sharing trials, tribulations and celebrations through sports. As we all take a step into unexplored paths together, we develop the bond of a family and learn invaluable life lessons in resilience, acceptance, sportsmanship and confidence.
From train rides to staying in hotels without family, there were many firsts had on this trip. When we met with the D.C. United Unified team for the first time at Buca di Beppo, we all sat intermingled with one another and learned that we are not alone in this new venture. We had so much in common with the other team - we have all experienced what it’s like to play on a sports team for the first time, what it’s like to make new friends that you would have never foreseen, what it’s like to break down barriers. The next day, we met on the field and battled it out for a close 5-3 D.C. United Unified victory over our Colorado Rapids Unified team. Although we came up short, we were brave in our attempt and conducted ourselves with the confidence and sportsmanship we have learned to carry throughout this experience.
Our last day, we were able to split into groups and explore the National Mall at our own pace. Groups took pictures at the White House, danced with protestors, visited the Vietnam Wall, the WWII memorial, the Abe Lincoln Memorial and the Smithsonian. These were places that our athletes may have never experienced first-hand had it not been for the opportunity provided by the Colorado Rapids and Special Olympics Colorado. During the tour of the capital, we were shown a video about the founding of our country and our country’s first motto, “E pluribus unum,” or, “Out of many, there are one.” This motto couldn’t describe our unified team any more accurately. We discovered that our unified team reflects the foundational values of our country. Despite our differences, we can all work together to accomplish something great. Our strength comes from learning about each other’s perspectives and experiences. If there is anything we have learned throughout this entire experience, it is that we never know what someone or something is like until we truly engage with each other with open minds and hearts. E pluribus unum. We are stronger together - unified. It might be scary to step out of your box, but we have found rainbows on the other side.
-Kaly Warner, Special Olympics Colorado Unified team head coach
