Special Olympics of NJ Young Athlete Program

One thing my parents have been saying to us since the beginning is that Colin was going to "make a difference". We are proud because Colin HAS been making a difference by increasing awareness among friends and family about Down Syndrome. Because he is loved, people have become more educated, are attempting to erase stereotypes, use terminology correctly and have become involved.

This is clearly evident by ALL of the people that have joined CAT Crew, donated money and time to the Special Olympics, and simply just supported us. To date, we have 48 team members and have raised $26,112. We are honored that people have supported us and the Special Olympics the way they have.

I am thankful for this support because through this, I received an exciting email this week. Kathy Edenzen, the manager of the Young Athlete Program of the Special Olympics of NJ contacted me. She saw how well CAT Crew was doing, found Colin's blog, and contacted me to spread some information regarding the Young Athlete Program.

Here is a piece from her email:

"The Young Athlete Program (YAP) was created in consultation with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, to meet the physical and developmental needs of children, ages 2 ½ to 7, in the areas of physical activity and play, with an emphasis on sports skill development. The activities presented in the program are designed to develop the fundamental prerequisite skills to prepare athletes for future participation in sports. The program includes user-friendly instructions and a complete kit of sports activity equipment. The design of this program provides flexibility for the parent, sibling, paraprofessional, teacher, and volunteer to conduct activities. The Young Athlete Program is designed to be used by parents in the home and can be used in a preschool / school environment, playgroup or one-on-one situation. Enrollment in YAP provides a kit with activity equipment, an activity guide and DVD all free of charge."

I wanted to share this information with all of you because personally, I think it's wonderful! I know that Colin will not be using some of these pieces of equipment just yet, but they are things that we can all grow into as Colin grows and develops. We can begin to work on sport specific skills so that one day, Colin will be ready to participate in different sports activities. I know that a lot of you live in different states, but I am in the process of finding out more information for you regarding the Young Athlete Program.

In the meantime, you can get more information by clicking here. I have not quite figured out how to attach documents to my posts, but this link will take you directly to the Young Athlete Program page through the Special Olympics of NJ website. On this page, you will find information regarding registration forms and activity guides for the program. It's an exciting opportunity!