A Story of a Young Boy that Touched My Heart

I was sitting on a team of deciding officials for a young boy who wanted to play basketball but has a handicap. The young boy has several medical issues that could possibly hinder him from being on the basketball team at the school. As adults, we were sitting around discussing his issues trying to come to the best conclusion for him. His parents were later invited to the meeting so we could hear what they had to say about the situation. His parents spoke and they felt the same as we did. They did not want him too involved with the boys because his bones were not as strong as it should be.

After discussing the young man with the team and his parents, we decided to hear what he had to say. We called him in the room and introduced ourselves. We then asked him how he felt about his situation and what could we do to accommodate him and make him feel part of the team. The young boy said to us, "I would like for you all to treat me as normal as possible. I love to play basketball and would give my last mobile leg to do it. I know my limits". This brought tears to my eyes. This was a reality check for all of us. Who wouldn't want to be treated the same regardless of our situations.