My son Brennan is 11 years old.  When he was 7 he was diagnosed with Autism.  He has never been a “sports guy” (as he often says).  Never knew how to throw a ball or catch.  In the early stages of his diagnosis, I was so focused on speech therapy, food therapy, academic help, etc., that I never really thought about sports or athletic ability.  We tried t-ball when he was very little and to say that was a disaster would be a total understatement.  He sat on the pitchers mound crying until I carried him off the field.  Looking back, it was such a traumatic experience for him (it was loud, hot, way too many things happening at once) so he swore off any sort of athletics.

Fast forward a few years.  Brennan is main streamed, with the assistance of a one-on-one aide in school.  Last year, he started coming home telling me that he “hated” gym and recess.  How could anyone hate recess?  After weeks of trying to get him to communicate, I finally discovered that the kids (most of the boys) were playing soccer during recess and Brennan just couldn’t, so he would sit on the sidelines, with his aide and watch youtube on his ipad.  This only isolated even more.  He was the “weird” kid, unfortunately.  We all know kids can be cruel, but as a special needs parent you try to give your kid as “normal” a life as possible.  You want them to have friends and socialize.  For Brennan, recess and gym was a huge trigger and he hated going to school because of it. During the last few weeks of school last year, he came to me and said “mama, my dream is to be able to play sports with the boys at recess”.  That is when fate stepped in.  A few weeks later, I saw Coach Ramsey’s advertisement for Abled Athletes.  From our first conversation, I was incredibly impressed.  He was patient, incredible knowledgeable, and willing to take Brennan on.

Coach Ramsey and Brennan immediately hit it off!  I would sit in my kitchen each day watching as they ran sprints up my drive way – BRENNAN WAS RUNNING!  He could barely run without tripping before, and here he was running sprints and doing ladder work with Coach Ramsey!  They worked over the entire summer together.  Soccer, basketball, baseball, catch, football – you name it.  Coach Ramsey had Brennan doing things I never dreamed possible for him.  When September came – as nervous as he was – he was ready!! For the first time ever, Brennan actually played soccer with the other kids!!!  He has never looked back – he participates every single day and looks forward to Gym and recess now.

Coach Ramsey changed this child’s life!  He gave him not only the tools and athletic ability to play with the other kids, but he gave him something so much more valuable.  He gave him confidence.  He believes in him, and Brennan sees that.  Coach Ramsey has quickly become not only part of Brennan’s team of therapists, and advocates, but he has become family.  His ability to connect with Brennan is like nothing I’ve ever seen.  Brennan (and I) trust him completely.  He can focus Brennan when needed, but also recognizes when he’s been pushed to his max and when to back down.  When Brennan has a great day and perhaps stops a goal in Gym class, Coach Ramsey is the first one he wants to text.  He looks forward to every session with him and never once says “not today”.  Coach Ramsey isso incredibly knowledgeable and talented he works on some of Brennan’s non-athletic “issues” as he’s coach  him.  He talks with him about food issues, helps him with social issues, acts as his therapist.  Everything associated with Brennan has only flourished since working with Coach Ramsey.  I’m so grateful for him and truly cannot express how valuable he is to us!