Van Reed Midgets at Philadelphia Eagles Practice

Today was a day these boys (and the parents who chaperoned) will never forget.  Last fall, I sent an e-mail to the Philadelphia Eagles thanking them for hosting the Huddle Up for Autism event each year.  That was Timothy's first experience with the Philadelphia Eagles and professional football.  He became a devoted fan from that point on.  It was one of the reasons he decided to play football.

After sharing his story with the Philadelphia Eagles, they said they wanted to do something special for Timothy.  I told them that Timothy had done great, but his football success would not have been possible had it not been for the help of his teammates.  So the Eagles invited his entire time to watch a private practice session at the Nova Care Complex.


Not only did they get to watch the Eagles practice, but they also got to greet the players as they were coming onto the field and then got autographs from almost every player after the practice session.  During the practice, the Eagles provided us with a tent with all the Chickies and Petes we could eat.



The most amazing part happened at the end of the day.    Tim Tebow was the last player to come off the field.  Timothy was soo excited about seeing him.  When Tim Tebow came to Timothy, Timothy told him that he was his favorite player.  Tim Tebow then handed Timothy his towel that he had been using during practice.  The look on Timothy's face was absolutely priceless.  He was so star stuck and happy.

It truly was an incredible day for all the boys -- a day they will never forget, but one they all deserved.  :)

2015 Season Begins!!!

Van Reed Bulldog football practice has officially begun.  Timothy is so excited!!  I am excited for him.  After last year's great season, he helped out on the school wrestling team, practicing with them, video-taping their matches, and getting acclimated to the sport so he will be ready to compete this coming season.  After wrestling season, he started to regress.  He was lost without the physical activity and the socialization aspect in a team setting.  We realized that this boy needs sports, and its finally time for football again!!

Varsity Championships

Last night was the first practice for the varsity team championship game.  All of the JV players were invited to suit up to practice with the varsity team and if they did that, they could suit up for the varsity championship game this weekend.

We thought most the JV team would do it.   We talked it up big for Timothy -- telling him what a great experience it would be.

After he didn't get put in the game on Sunday, he was relieved and eager to continue practicing and going on with the varsity team.

However, there was only two or three JV players who came out to practice last night.  None of Timothy's regular coaches were there either.  I thought he was going to be so upset that he had come when most of his teammates didn't.

I was totally blown away after practice when he was all smiles (just like all his other practices). He never said a word about being upset because all his teammates weren't there.  He never said anything about not wanting to continue on with practice this evening or go to the game on Sunday.

I told him how proud I was of him, and reminded him that he is showing everyone that he is a part of the team!   He is amazing me even more every day!

First Day of School

 Today was Timothy's official first day of school.  We worked hard all weekend making sure everything was prepared and in place for this morning.  He went to bed fine, but didn't sleep very well.  He woke up around 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep.  I think he finally fell back asleep around 5:30 or so.  Amazingly, he woke up with a good attitude at 6:30.  I wanted to make sure he had enough time to get dressed, eat, and relax before it was time to leave.

He began to get nervous when it was time to leave.  As we were driving to school, Mr. Galan called to make sure everything was going smoothly and to remind Timothy to check in at his homeroom and then come see him.

By the time we were pulling into the drop off area, he began to get really nervous, but he held it together and got right out.  I was so proud of him.

Throughout the day, I got several encouraging texts and facebook messages, reminding me that he would do great. I also got a special sneak peak update early in the afternoon.  A friend's son is in several of Timothy's classes.  She checked him out of school early for an appointment, and he told his mom that Timothy was in his classes and seemed to be having a good day.  :)

When Timothy came out of school this afternoon, he had a huge smile on his face and said he had an "awesome" day.  Mr. Galan came out with him and said that Timothy did really well.  He only requested one break when a class got too loud for him and he was about to shut down.  I'm so glad he was able to request that break to go to Mr. Galan's room, regroup, and then go back to class 5 minutes later, able to cope with everything.

Mr. Galan said every time he was with Timothy, there were kids giving him "High-5s" and telling him "hi".  He had two football teammates in his gym class (the class he was most worried about), and he ate lunch with a lot of his teammates.  He also has teammates in homeroom, reading, and math.  He has a band (drummer) friend in science, social studies, and Family and Consumer Sciences.  He is so happy to have friends.  He has been all smiles!

I know that there are going to be many hurdles to overcome, and there will be good days and bad days in the future, but I am so very thankful that his first day was a success!  Wilson West did an incredible job of preparing Timothy for this great adventure that began today, and a lot of great 6th-grade young men did an incredible job of making sure Timothy felt welcome as he joined them as part of the Wilson West Family!

Supporting the Varsity Team!

Kids with autism have many character traits to be proud of.  However, there are also some character traits of kids with autism that are negative and need a lot of extra help for them to overcome.  One of the biggest struggles kids with autism have is an extreme self-focus.  Their "world" is usually very small, and they are the center of their world.

Timothy had a small victory in that area today.  The JV players were invited to suit up and come out to the Varsity play-off game.  I thought it was important for Timothy to do this to show his support and to continue to be a part of the team.

Timothy did NOT want to suit up.  He was so afraid that he would have to play, and he kept telling me over and over again that the 12-year-olds were huge.  He was scared he would have to go out there and would be put up against a huge 12-year-old.    I explained to him that he would probably not even play.  He couldn't understand why he needed to suit up if he wasn't going to play.  I continued to try to explain to him that it would show his support to his teammates by being there suited up and on the sidelines.

He sort of understood and agreed to do it, and then had a great time.  The Varsity team won and it was an *VERY* exciting game.   He was glad that he did it, and is look forward to suiting up for next week's championship game!  :)

Last JV Game of the Season

The last game of the season was at Twin Valley Middle School in Morgantown.  It is a gorgeous area - especially in the fall with all the color in the mountains.  Unfortunately, it was also *VERY* cold, rainy, and windy!  The rain eventually tapered off toward the end of the game, but the cold and wind was relentless.




Today was a very special day for Timothy.  The Reading Eagle is still working on the article about the difference football has made in his life.  They sent out a photographer to the game to get some game day pictures.  I can't wait until the article finally comes out.   :)



The most special part of the game was at the end. Timothy's coaches and team honored him during the post game huddle by presenting him with a game ball signed by every player and every coach.  Coach Heckman gave an incredible speech, thanking the boys for being such a great team, and telling them that it was because of them that Timothy was able to succeed on the football team.  It was a beautiful speech from the heart.


 After the post-game huddle, the team all posed for a team picture.  I love it!  Our purchased team photo was both the JV and V Midgets.  It was awesome to get a picture of just the JV team - especially one after a real game.  I can't wait to get it enlarged and get a frame for it.




When it was all over, the Reading Eagle photographer had a few things to talk to me about, so I asked Hannah and Timothy to go back to the stands to pick up our stuff that we had left there.  As they walked across the field, Hannah put her arm around Timothy, and it was a scene that just melted my heart.  Hannah has been one of Timothy's biggest fans.  She was right there with him all summer as he was walking/jogging/doing sit ups/etc.  She has gone to dozens of his practices, and has been to every game unless she has been working.  She's been such a great support and encouragement for him.

First Unofficial Day of School

Today was the unofficial beginning of a new adventure for Timothy.    It was an early-release day at school.  They got out at 11:00, so everyone thought it would be a good day to get Timothy acclimated to being in school again.  They were also practicing various drills - fire drill, severe weather drill, and an intruder drill.

Timothy did really well.  He said he was scared during the intruder drill, but I'm glad he got to practice for it.  He also got to wear his jersey to school and found out that he has two teammates in his homeroom and at least one in his reading class.  :)  He will find out about his other classes on Monday.