It was chilly morning in Fenton Missouri. But despite the temperature hovering around 40 degrees, 90 or so parents, soccer players, and children are gathered in sweatshirts and costumes on the turf field at the Anheuser-Bush Conference Center (Soccer Park).
In the parking lot behind the bleachers of the field, a woman named Becky stands outside her silver minivan. At the moment she is busy fumbling with a pair of very small, pink cotton gloves covered with red peace signs. When she gets the gloves untangled, she stretches out the wristband and slides them over the hands of her daughter, Alexandria, who is waiting beside her, busy bobbing her head to headphones that pipe music into her ears. Today, like every Saturday for the past few months, Becky and Alexandria (most people call her Alex) are at the Conference Center to play soccer. However playing soccer is a task much easier said than done for Alex. At the age of 7, Alex has been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum, Cerebral Palsy and an anxiety disorder. Alex needs assistance with almost every aspect of her life, and playing soccer is no exception.
Which is why she is in Fenton with her mom this Saturday morning. It’s on this field that SPENSA, the Special Needs Soccer Association – a non-profit soccer program for children with disabilities, meets. For some kids like Alex, SPENSA is their only opportunity to play sports. And while it only lasts for an hour, what takes place these Saturday mornings no chill could stop.
When the gloves are on, Becky puts a fuzzy, bright orange hat on over Alex’s curly black hair, and wheels her toward the field. With her right hand, she pushes the wheelchair with Alex in it. With her left, she pushes an orange walker.
Alex bobs her head.
“She listens to music so she doesn’t get overwhelmed,” Becky said.
Everyone gathers at the bleacher side of the field near the entrance to the park. Most of the people here now are volunteers who consist of local boys and girls soccer club teams, but other groups and individuals are here as well. At the front of the crowd, a table sits covered with so many different colored name-tags and sharpie markers it’s a miracle none fall off. Donna Byrne, the administrator, sits behind the table wearing a white coat over pale green scrubs. A stethoscope hangs around her neck. Today is one of the last Saturdays in the fall session and because it’s Halloween, kids and volunteers alike dress for the occasion.
Anytime a parent and child walk up Donna smiles and asks “do you want boys or girls?” At the same time another woman, Shirley McBroom, ropes in volunteers – either boys or girls- from their teams in twos and threes to match up with a player. These volunteers will be the player’s “buddies” for the day. The entire operation picks up just after nine, when most of the players come in.
When mom and Alex reach the sign up table they meet Alex’s “buddies” for the day. Today there are three girls from Saint Louis United Soccer Club. Abbey, dressed as Spiderman, Maddie, dressed as a Dalmatian and Mallorie, dressed as a ninja turtle.
“Hey, are you ready to play soccer today?” Maddie the Dalmatian asks.
Alex has one hand holding the ear of her headphones like a DJ while Becky puts on her white leg braces. Alex had surgery last December to lengthen her hamstrings. Limited mobility is a common symptom for children with Cerebral Palsy, the surgery
cut some of the tendons in order to give her a larger range of movement.
“Alright you ready?” Becky asks Alex.
Alex opens her arms and her mother picks her up. She leaves her chair and the two go straight into a hug. She tucks her head to one side and for the first time, seems to relax a bit. Mother and daughter slow dance as they turn around to face the walker. When they reach 180 degrees, Alex lets go of her mothers waist, grabs a hold of her walker and steadies herself.
“Alright let’s go,” Maddie says.
Alex’s “buddies” position themselves around her and help her out onto the field. Maddie stands behind Alex while Mallorie and Abbey stand on either side. Near the side line, two small yellow goals are placed about 10 yards apart.
“Come on Alex, let’s go!”
Once on the field, Mallorie places the ball at Alex’s feet. Alex slowly kicks it forward towards the yellow goal; the ball rolls less than a foot in front of her with each kick. Maddie helps push her walker in the back while the other two shout encouragement to her.
“You can do it! You’re almost there!”
When it seems Alex is starting to make some real progress, her leg brace gets stuck underneath her. But before she can loose her balance, Abbey is there to help. She swoops down and repositions Alex’s foot. Once unstuck, Alex continues closer towards the goal. She’s only a foot away now.
“Come on! Come on! Yes!” The girls shout.
With one final kick the ball rolls across the line. All of the girls cheer. Alex smiles.
It’s moments like this why Janet Oberle has been coming to SPENSA for 13 years. A volunteer when she was in high school, Oberle is now president of the board for SPENSA.
“What draws me back every week is [the ability] to give this opportunity,”
Oberle said. “For me, I learn so much from the kids. Each week you’re reminded to never underestimate someone’s abilities.”
At the end of the day, all of the volunteers and players circle up around the middle of the field for their traditional send off. The hokey pokey. You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out, you put your right hand in and you shake it all about.
“Oh this is the best,” Board member John Schneider said. “The kids have so much fun, it’s really pure. You come down here and you see what soccer is really about.”
You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about.
Mallorie, Abbey and Maddie help Alex do the dance. All four girls can’t stop smiling.
That’s what it’s all about.
