Sports, Education... and Hope.
This week’s @steemiteducation homework assignment is centered around sports. Normally, that would be right in my wheelhouse. Unfortunately, I was so busy geeking out that I had not planned to participate this week.
Then something amazing happened.
On Thursday, one of my students stayed after class. After everyone else had left, she asked my teaching assistant and me, “Can I tell you something?”
Uh oh. That usually means something very serious.
It was serious alright.
Seriously awesome!
Hope had stayed back to tell me about what she called, “The best night of her life”.
Hope is 15 years old. She loves to read, participate in class and challenge herself to answer difficult questions. She is clever and has a great sense of humor. She is incredibly outgoing and enjoys hanging out with her friends and teammates.
Oh and Hope happens to have Cerebral Palsy.
This congenital disorder makes it very difficult for Hope to control her muscles. It negatively impacts her speech, physical movement and ability to write. It is quite difficult for Hope to walk without losing her balance. But she does. She walks. She just walks a little more slowly than her peers.
But back to the important part… the best night of her life.
Hope’s face lit up as she struggled to form the words to explain what had happened. Sometimes she had to repeat those words so we could understand. Thanks to her undying effort, we did.
The previous night, Hope had participated in an indoor track and field event. She ran the 800 meters for our team. She was incredibly happy to report that she had recorded the fastest time she ever had in her life. I explained to her that this was called a “personal best” and that she should be extremely proud of herself. I told her how excited I was for her and began to head to my next class (which was in a classroom at the other end of the building).
She said, “That’s not it. It was awesome because everyone stayed and no one tried to hurry me or tell me the race was over.”
Wait!
This whole time I was thinking she was talking about our Special Olympic Track and Field team. But that doesn’t start until the spring. No. She was describing the school’s official team.
Regardless of which team it was, I would have been very impressed with her running her personal best. But that was just a minor detail in “the best night of her life”.
Hope is a member of the Freshman Track and Field team. She competed against other Freshman from several other schools.
She finished dead last.
But she finished.
Hope may have been the last kid on the track, but she was definitely not alone.
(This picture is from the 2016 Summer Olympics. Hope isn't in the Olympics...yet.)
She described the scene for me. It seems that instead of leaving after their race was over, every single member of every team stood in the middle of the field house and cheered Hope on as she slowly made her way around the track.
According to Hope, every parent rose to their feet to join the athletes. She later discovered that with every step she took, parents approached her mom to congratulate her.
No one complained that she was taking too long or even considered ending the race before she finished. She was a competitor who had earned the right to cross the finish line. Just like every other girl, she did.
Hope’s smile reached maximum capacity as she said, “and no one felt sorry for me.”
She continued, “They were cheering me because I was doing it. Not out of pity. I don’t want to be pitied. I can do anything.”
She can.
She does.
For a moment I lamented the fact that I was not there to witness this accomplishment. That would have been awesome! Then I realized this had nothing to do with me at all. This wasn’t about my joy at witnessing the event. It was about Hope. Every time she tells that story, she will be reliving the greatest moment of her life. I am lucky that I got to be part of that.
I hope... Hope will earn many.
This week’s @steemiteducation assignment asked, “How do you get kids to participate in sports?”
My answer is simple.
I can’t.
But Hope can.
Hope will.
She will encourage her friends and classmates to get out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves. She will convince them to join her in striving for their personal best. She will instill in them the belief that they too can do anything.
Hope will.
wow nice capation
wow very nice caption.
This is a wonderful post talking about hope...thank you for the motivating post...@hanshotfirst...you can please checkout my blog and check out posts that may catch your fancy...thanks once again
Thanks for the educational post.
I have learned many things from here.
Great to share
Thanks again
I have upvoted and resteemed your post. I have also started following you to see more of your work!
I loved reading this feel good post, you have a strong voice, and do well in encouraging motivation. This is definitely inspiring, especially for people, like myself, that have a disability, and get regularly discouraged. And treated differently. I cant wait to read more!
Thanks!
I hope steemit becomes the great equalizer it should be. Everyone here can be an important member of this community. I just saw that you are a social worker. I am part of @steemiteducation. If you ever post anything that could help educate people about mental health... or anything really, please use the steemiteducation tag. If we miss it, drop me a link.
It's great when children are eager for sports.This should be taught from an early age!After all, sport is life!Lovely post @hanshotfirst !
Do I have to initially tag it when I post it? Or can it be done after the fact? I have some really great mental health writings on here related to anxiety, PTSD, and dealing with trauma. Thanks!
I have followed,upvote & resteem your post.can you give me?? hope we will work together.
Hope is what keeps us standing up and motivation is what keeps us moving forward.
I am such a sucker for motivational sports movies, and this would make such a good one.
I am going to tell her you said that!
Thanks!
Wow, I love sports, very nice post, I want to learn sports, thank you
Upvote and resteem done
This is so encouraging. Great post! Upvoted and resteemed.
first of all i want to thank you for this amazing post, you have a very great style, your post is really insiring, motivating and encouraging people like us thank you. following you to enjoy and learn from your next posts have a great evening.
good fight, I like your story, thank you for sharing
This makes me very happy. When I read the homework I really didn't believe the premise, and I think you just proved it in the best way possible. Kids are very rarely lazy, and in many cases it's fear that prevents them from trying their hardest. Hope is proof that there's everything right with trying hard, and she's an inspiration for other students to do their best outside the classroom.
Yeah! Kids are always so afraid of failure. The only failure is not giving it a shot.
I am also a teacher by profession and i claim that teaching is not job at all but it is a prayer. It reshapes the lives of the innocents and give them awareness how to deal in specific situations. I am really happy that you are justifying your duty with full honesty, Massive respect :)
I have a huge round of applause for the attitude to adopted to listen the point of Hope , this is what we call the spirit of real teaching <3 <3
More Peace to all the Teachers Community !!
Such an inspirational story. Two of our children are competitive swimmers and they compete in events every few weeks. Each of the swim teams in our regions has several special needs swimmers. Some of these swimmers are paraplegic and don't even have the use of their legs to help them swim. The competitions are organized so that people swim against others who have similar time standards. This means that the ages of swimmers in each individual race might differ and based on the last time they set a time in that event their could possibly be a large gap in speed and ability during the earlier races in an event. Our special needs swimmers swim at the same time as our regular swimmers. We have watched more of these races than I can even count. To watch these swimmers give their all in these races is extraordinary. They are often the last swimmers to finish a heat and can at times take a very long time. Both the other swimmers and the fans at the pool are always exceptional in my experience. They cheer loud and proud for these kids, rooting them on to finish and at the end there is always a tremendous applause. It those moments in sport when you know exactly why you got involved and get to see the positive impact it can have on our children.
Man I think i'm really going to like having you around here...even if you are a Bronco fan.
i just follow and upvote to your post ,, so kindly follow me back and upvote at given link ,, then i will upvote to your five more posts
This makes me very happy.Kids are not lazy. we need to give them the confidence and support you need
Hope will...... This is a very motivating story, every one needs to be appreciated and applauded for every step taken in life race, am happy she recognised that she's only competing with herself, getting her very self best and recognizing it is wonderful. Thanks for sharing, very touching
When I say next time that there is some hope in the world I will relate to her :d
https://steemit.com/esteem/@rinaldioce/banana-inspiration-2fa04d311dbef
buddy shere help to have a vote.
sorry if this content is offensive.
Interesting, hope is such a hardworking girl, trying prove herself
This post is very touching and inspiring to me especially because I have a family member who is disabled and who is not treated as a regular person. I am always moved when I read stories like Hope's and I will surely be sharing this with my cousin. Everyone should have an equal chance regardless of their circumstance.
Good read.
I agree with you 100%. We need to focus more on what people can do instead of what we think they can't.
Great event..
Even on my best days, I don't show this kind of perseverance. Hope has more ability to go the distance than many people I have heard about. She showed that she isn't 'dis'abled, on the contrary.
I loved to hear how her team mates supported her as well and were cheering her because they knew she could do it.
This story will stay with me for a while. Very inspirational. She can do it and anything else her body allows. Awesome. Her personal best isn't great bc of her disability it is in spite of it.
Okay I'll stop now. I'm just .... something. :)
She is an awesome kid for sure. Huge heart (in every way possible).
Great quote..
"Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world.
-Auggie"
Suppose that you are on your death bed (don't take it otherwise) not exactly a death bed but on a road after being hit by some speeding car, then the car stops and a beautiful girl comes out of the car, worried (obviously), running towards you. But you are lying there tied to a mere thread of consciousness, saw her and immediately losses consciousness.
Then while you were unconscious you were dreaming, right from the starting i.e. that is your birth, you were a happy child (whatever your life story really is), went to a good school, got good grades, then college, you are popular in college, you met the same girl, who came out of that car after hitting you, you fell in love, immediately, she also liked you.
You both in love deeply, married together, had many cheerful experiences in life, in short it was the life worth living.
But since you were very happy something had to happen, you both had gone for a long drive and enjoying the moment, then a speeding car becomes the cause of your wifes death.
Then with a jolt you wake up in a hospital, beside you is the same girl, weeping for what she had done, and you are smiling, happy from inside that she's alive, that it was only a dream.
But really was that just a dream or your whole meaningful life in a dream?
That's how it is we can also be the same case as the one above who knows.
Excellent post friend! Visit my profile, what do you think about this beautiful capture I made? If you like it, vote! regards
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Great! Sport is the best motivator to live and to win! :)
Hmmmm, really captivating story of how hope showed the light of hope in her
Inspiring story from your student
Hope's story is truly an inspiration to every Child out there who is held captive by some ailment or physical challenge.
There is ability in every disability
All followers of the race must want to win the champions, but it is not easy all must work hard and the most in priority is speed. Visit my post we can share and I need support from you @hanshotfirst
Nice post. Gives me a warm hart reading about your strong will and belief in hope. May you be blessed. Will keep following
Indeed.
Thanks for sharing this heart-warming and inspiring story with us, it can teach us a lot about ourselves.
Loved and resteemed!
My pleasure! It's the best part of my job for sure.
This is so great! You got the great point here......
Good content. Nice work.
Excelente historia, muy inspiradora. Gracias por compartirla!
It's all about stepping out there and taking a risk and doing the thing.
That is the amazing thing about sportsmanship. The kind that hasn't been lost altogether. The kind where a teammate stops to help a fallen athlete. What a heartwarming, genuine sports story. Thanks for sharing.
AWESOME!
If there is one thing I can never stop telling people, it is to never let go of hope. Hope plays out in every situation; sport, school, prison, dungeon and where ever.
You are a great teacher @hanshotfirst and am always happy to learn from you. I am a motivator and to mltivate others, others motivate me as well and you successfully do that. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this amazing story with us. Given the chance the ones suffering from the disability will be the biggest advocates for success as they are walking the walk everyday, know what it takes to overcome and surely deserve support from everyone!
This just made my day, thank you so much for sharing Hope's story with us!!
This is such a beautiful post!
So encouraging
Fantastic! Inspiration can come from so many places. She is a winner in so many ways.
Wow,this is great to know that even in are difficult state she still has to encourage herself to make it. This is what I call self motivation
Very cool man! Congrats to Hope!
One of my best friends growing up had cerebal palsy. His parents treated him horribly. He couldn't walk very well and would always stumble. The only thing he really had in life aside from a few friends like me were his comic books which his parents would rip up in front of him if they got mad at him.
I was always so angry at his parents and I always wished there was a way for him to escape into a better life.
I'm really glad to hear that Hope has HOPE.
My friend had no hope. Eventually he moved away without letting his friends know where he went. I never heard from again.
He is in my thoughts even now though. Wherever you are buddy....... I hope you're doing well.
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This one is a good Story..
Just Break The Limits!!
Up vote and follow me bro plzz
What a great inspirational story! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Thanks for dropping by. I hope you are doing well!
That is such a cool story. I'm so proud of your student, without even knowing her. A true tale of the joy of perseverance and personal accomplishment. Go, Hope!
Thanks! She is simply awesome!
I took time to read your whole post. Nice post for @steemiteducation homework assignment is centered around sports. It's also motivational post.
Hope will🙂🙂
Wow, congratulations! Share in Hopes’ joy and never let her stop believing @hanshotfirst
motivation in @hanshotfirst style that's what we steemians like :D
good post, and interesting.
please visit my blog.
still maybe we can exchange information.
wow i'm really enamored with this, HOPE never loses hope.
Tell hope i said she is an amazing woman to be.
i will resteem this post because its inspires me, i'm new here this is my first comment
Thank's. Look me in hire https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@lingi/patience-facing-naughty-children
Thank's. Come here https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@lingi/patience-facing-naughty-children
Sports and and the education is the naccesry for every one
Great post! Thank you
for me.
hope will
I will encourage my children to participate in sports
such an inspiring post all the way thanks for sharing made it till the last :)
Interesting post very motivating and demonstrating that faith and strength of will moves mountains.
This is a really inspiring post. Hope is able to try harder and aspire for her dreams with the help of a supportive school environment, great teachers, fellow classmates & her family. She can look forward to more standing ovations in her future!
Your post is very good, full of education and knowledge, I like to read the contents of your blog post, I really like, would you visit my blog?
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an encouraging story..
which touch my heart
its inspiration for me
Wow great post
Please come in. Thank's. https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@arafatnur/let-s-learn-and-write
Very Motivational post. I will Follow you now
Encouraging!
And yes, I want to watch Wonder.
Inspirational post! Thank you for sharing her story. There is much to learn here and much to admire from her.
I have always believed that sports is a great avenue for Children to develop strong mentality and learn good values & character while having fun. Sports & Martial Arts have been a part of my life and education since I was young and I aim to share it with people especially kids. I have taught martial arts for years and I emphasize discipline, focus & strong mentality, good character and self-development. Sports can be used to educate kids about life and how to face life & its challenges positively.
I am new to steemit so I'm still learning its ways but I plan to write about the link between sports, martial arts and life and how sports & martial arts can aid in self-development.
It's great to have read this post. Looking forward to read more stories from you @hanshotfirst! 😊
unusual and amazing at the same time loved your writing approach
i know education is the backbone of a nation but sports also part of education.
I am very very tetarik with your story, because I am a fan of sports run ,,,, thank post
This is an excellent post @hanshotfirst, really inspiring and shows how dedicated kids can be. Hope sounds like the type of person who will do really well in life, because of her determination.
I have not previously heard of @steemiteducation, but I have been a tutor in a variety of subjects in the past (maths, physics, chemistry, technical drawing) and I would love to get involved. I'm going to check out their page now and see what they are all about.
By the way, I am running a project called the Steemit Success Initiative, which is actually a project aiming to grow and develop Steemit as a platform, as well as educate its users about how to grow on Steemit. I would really appreciate your support on it, I can tell you more over Discord or Steemit Chat, or you can check out the posts on my page. We have some big things coming soon, I'm just building up support first!
i hope to get my standing ovation soon :)
I have upvoted your post because it's amazing story. Thank you!
Thumbs up for your post great work
Thanks for this nice post
it's this like people like hope are keeping the hope alive in this world.
If she wouldn't have taken the courage to participate and run, even when she could saw herself being behind, that she couldn't have created a great story.
people like her tells us that all you need is to give your 100% and feel proud of doing that. Rest comes automatically !!
If hope could get my message, I would want her to know that "It's because if you hope, the hope is alive in the world" with a big hug :))
such a encouraging post i really like it
Inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
@hanshotfirst wow
such an inspiring story
much needed :)
Usain Bolt should be like.Usain St Leo Bolt OJ CD could be a retired Jamaican runner. he's the primary person to carry each the one hundred meters and two hundred meters world records since totally automatic time became obligatory.
Greats blogs.. I’m already following you, and I upvoted this post. If you have time please go to my blog and read my story, regards from Venezuela.
Nice one dear, please i need your help. Upvote my post please https://steemit.com/friendship/@promise75/seven-friends-to-keep-forever
And God will bless you.
Hello @hanshotfirst. Very good post I was touched. We have many things in common, I am a teacher, already retired. Integral education. I have a son of special conicion, Mild Autism. Nobody knows the destiny of each one, that if I knew I would have studied for special education, but it is never tare, and with it I have had to learn, but I am missing a lot.
He is intelligent, very sentimental, he has a retentive to remember things that he wins me.
He is in 6th grade with his limitations (We are from Venezuela), where in reality in the city (CIUDAD BOLIVAR), the kind of specialized help for children, people like ....... is very scarce too much I would say, that we are the mothers that we have to look for the tools to help them, what if it cost me a lot is that I read. It is in basic words, but I know that it costs, it is not that I do not want that I can not but that it costs a lot so much that it gets frustrated, gets angry gets into anger.
It also has some limitation with the language, but advanced too.
My attention was the sporting theme. What would be the ideal sport for him?
He has tried volleyball because the sister practices volleyball, she was advanced but suddenly she was amazed.
Then I try with the baseball, but because his classmates did not understand it until the teacher did not have that touch for children like him, that he declined.
He asks me for a sport he suggested swimming he did not want.
He likes auto mechanics a lot, the movies his favorite the titanic, he looks for videos, he asks me questions about the film if he gives it 10 times a week 10 times he sees it, he knows many scripts of it ... and fast and Furious.
I gave you to follow, retest and vote, I am willing to give me advice, recommendations, to achieve better results with my son ... he has his account opened because he asked me but is not yet in age and I He said I will wait but I already have it ..... THANK YOU ..
Very beautiful Hope, reminds me of my brother Vicent, who is also special, does not beat, has autism, does not read yet, transcribes the blackboard, recesses more things than I do, I love him but sometimes has a character, but like that and I love everything, I would like to do much for it but I find myself sometimes tied ... without knowing, I would like to become something more for someone to be able to fend for himself in his adult life, since the parents are not forever, and after them I would be your protector.
Cool! Encouraging and inspiring
This comment has received a 0.38 % upvote from @speedvoter thanks to: @xerox-bru.
Wow, it's a very nice story, thank you for sharing it @hanshotfirst
Congratulations @hanshotfirst!
Your post was mentioned in the Steemit Hit Parade in the following category:
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I love sports
What a useful content, some good point mentioned @hanshotfirst . as the teacher/educational practising else we need to maintain kids'motivation in all aspects.
That's right, 'personal best' is the true inspiration. To be honest I don't like sports back then in my middle and high school. Even when we're 'forced' to run for a marathon, I ended up just walking. But then when I was in my first year in college there is a person which is currently my coach, he asked me to join the training . I told him that I can't be like the other runner but he said 'what if you just do better than what you did before? 1 second faster is called and achievement.'
Thanks to him, four years in college, now I'm one of the top runner there.
I have followed you, upvote & resteem the post.can you give in my post??
hope we will still work together.
I read your post.this is interesting.i am new in steemit.i have more study on steemit.hope i will know somwthis.thank you for sharing your post with us
Thank you for your post. It's a very motivational!
Hope and never give up! Thank you @hanshotfirst
Welcome
As a newcomer here, it's always nice to see inspiring post like this. I hope O can write like this someday.
Which parent in Africa can create time for their kids
Nice post . Please write more like this
Great post
Making me motivational for sports.
Very interesting read. Thanks for sharing!
Nice
Good motivation..
Please follow and vote mee,,
Thanks..
Spirit
All the pictures in this articles are interesting and many of them looks very professional in terms of photography. Great job and keep up your good work.
Thank you very much of sharing it. I have learned something from it. Inspiration fuels someone to push harder to achieve a certain goals. It is not the winning that counts, but the motivation and will to do it matters most. Also to keep me inspired, I will follow your post. Thank you!
Simply....A story that can change one's mind & life as well.....
..inspiring and attracting one...
Great inspiring post @hanshotfirst thanks for sharing,am new on steemit I want you to be my friend I will be so glad if my request is accepted thank you and take care
Excelente post, Soy nueva en la comunidad espero contar son tu apoyo, Siempre estaré apoyándolo gracias... Éxito
What an incredible story and thank you for sharing. As a former 800 meter runner myself who PR'd at 1:56 (albeit almost in a different century and two broken legs ago), the focus of track and sports, in general, had been about results first and everything else second. It was only after my playing days passed that I realized the most valuable lessons I took from athletics were ones like you hinted at in the article, including pushing beyond one's comfort zone, challenging oneself, and focusing on winning one's own race.
Looking forward to your future posts!
@hafizul Do you have an account hijacking experience? I had the same terrible experience. I want to hear your feedback.
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Nothing can stop her with her tracks, it's in her heart. Thank you for this,
Great dear. I like it.
What a beautiful experience for this young girl who, despite her limitations, was able to achieve this challenge. @anaaguilar
good post friend
Nice article upvoted :)
i upvoted your article
You're warming my heart and warming peoples' lives. "Hope is the thing with feathers" remains one of my favorite lines of poetry, and for some reason, your post brought that to mind.
Thanks man. By far the best thing about my job is getting to be a tiny part of these big moments in my students' lives. In this case, just being an audience for her retelling of the event was a blessing. I am really lucky to be surrounded by examples of strength, perseverance and kindness everyday. It gives me Hope for this world.
I'm glad it made you think of Dikinson's poem. It's a powerful one. Thank you for reminding me of it.
muy animadora tu publicación excelente
good story, that can make the motives of the people, I am amazed with your writing style, you are part of the story that has a very high motivation, hopefully in your life always succeed what you want
nice post... hope and education must be have for every people, because with that will have a good future...
I find you to be a awesome person continue to do your part by being a positive influence in these youth lives wish success in all you do
Good job
Amazing article @hanshotfirst :D
I still remember my elementary period. I am the one who run to make competition, but I refuse it because I'm too shy. That was one of my regrets...
You're warming my heart and warming people groups' lives. "Expectation is the thing with quills" stays one of my most loved lines of verse, and for reasons unknown, your post conveyed that to mind.
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STOPInspiring post as always. When it comes to running it always reminds me of this (VANGELIS - Chariots Of Fire) - I hope HOPE keeps the fire in her heart alive.
Your story of Hope made me cry at work. Thanks :)
I have a special place in my heart for anyone with a "disability". My son has a genetic mutation that causes him to appear Autistic. We cheer him on too when he's doing something. Not for pity, but because we love to see him accomplishing things. We love to see his smile.
Thank you for writing such a touching story.
Great story. Reminds me of Forest Gump, one of my all-time favourite movies.
Love your work!
That was beautiful. My wife teaches a special needs class at the cheer gym she works at and i can attest to the fact that those kids work their asses off. Tell Hope that her story has touched the hearts of strangers across the globe.
Very inspirational! Love this post! I am also a Coach and PT and interested in endurance sports. I followed you 😊
This is one of the most beautiful things i've read in a while. Hope is what keep us going. Thanks for sharing. I found this just by coincidence, and now got my heart full of strenght to keep going.
Beautiful story. It's good she is accomplishing her dreams and not using that condition as an excuse or ailment. I met a guy in my city who has the same condition who went through the military and hid it from everyone. Apparently it is an amazing story which I should give myself time to read. We are capable of accomplishing so much, and persevering through physical and mental conditions. We can accomplish anything if we really set our minds to it.
a very beautiful story, I hope to continue reading stories with similar magnitude as yours, I find it quite inspiring and very beautiful and you have a follower more;)
Yeap nice post.... I like that...thnx
“They were cheering me because I was doing it. Not out of pity. I don’t want to be pitied. I can do anything.” This is so inspiring . God bless you for the apt write up.