BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. — This Sunday a unique athletic event takes place at Bonner Springs High School. Teams made up of both Special Olympics athletes and their general education peers will take the field for the Kansas Unified Soccer League Championship Tournament.
And it’s happening because this week’s FOX 4 Young Achiever cared enough and was determined and superbly capable enough to get it going.
READ: Unified Tournament Flyer
When kids and adults with intellectual challenges compete in Special Olympics, usually they have the field or the gym to themselves. But not on the soccer field at Bonner Springs High School. Here they play on the same teams with their typical peers who have no disabilities. It’s Unified Soccer — breaking down barriers and fostering understanding and acceptance. And Itzel Soto made it happen.
“It’s unique because in every other aspect, identified students and peers get pretty much separated,” said Itzel, this week’s FOX 4 Young Achiever. “Whether it’s jobs or athletic clubs or clubs in general or even school. And so this one really brings them together without secluding anybody.”
Bonner Springs High requires students to do a senior project in order to graduate. Itzel was determined to do a meaningful and lasting one.
“I don’t think I would have been as passionate if I wouldn’t see that reward,” said Itzel, “if I wouldn’t see the peers so interested, if I wouldn’t see the students so willing to try something new and step out of their comfort zone.”
Itzel found out Special Olympics Kansas wanted to get the concept of unified sports started up in the state. Itzel took the ball and ran with it — creating the soccer program at her school last fall and now helping to get it expanded to other schools.
“And everybody grows together and everything is so accepting and as one,” said Itzel. “Because that’s what unified is — to be unified.”
Interacting and working with special needs kids and establishing deep friendships with them didn’t just spring up for Itzel when she created the soccer team program for her senior project. She’s been reaching out and leading this sort of thing since she was in middle school.
“I was just kind of drawn to it,” said Itzel. “It was just calling my name for some reason.”
And as Itzel got to high school she immediately took the reins of Friendship Group. In this school club, peer models work with special needs students to help them with social, behavior and emotional skills as they all get together weekly for fun and games and — well — friendship.
“Whenever you see Itzel go up and approach (the special needs kids) and you see the joy on her face and you see the excitement on the kids’ faces, then you’re like, ‘Oh!'” said BSHS social worker and coach Denise Chowning who advises Friendship Club and was Itzel’s mentor for unified soccer.
“And so then she educates others on how to do that. And then it just kind of filters down.”
Itzel tirelessly promoted Friendship Group, recruiting members from all camps at school and making it the thing to do. It’s now one of Bonner’s largest student organizations.
“You feed off Itzel,” says Chowning. “And she’s so excited about it. And then you see it and you get involved with it and you’re like, ‘Wow! OK. I want to do that!'” Working magic in the lives of everyone in the club.
“I think what the most special thing about it,” said Itzel, “is the bonds that are created because kids are finally feeling involved and that they have friends and people to rely on and people to talk to and someone they can call ‘friends.'”
That will always be Itzel.
For her superb work on unified soccer and with Friendship Club, Special Olympics Kansas recently honored Itzel with its Metro Region Program Support Volunteer of the Year Award. She’s the youngest person ever to receive that honor. Meantime here’s the information on the Kansas Unified Soccer League Championship Tournament this Sunday, April 27 at Bonner Springs High School.
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