Advocating for others and yourself

To advocate for myself.

KC (former student)

My response:

And  you have also been a wonderful advocate for others. I have to thank you for getting me involved in the Young Athletes Program. You included me in something that continues to be a shining bright light in my life. This is not only because of the athletes, but because I get to work with high school students who, like you, know that the world only gets better with their active participation with helping others. And then when they discover that they get back more love than they could possibly give … what a joy!

More about advocating for people:

This former student says she learned to advocate for herself. I know her as one of the strongest advocates for people who can have trouble speaking for themselves. She brought the Massachusetts Special Olympics Young Athletes Program to our school. She asked that I be the faculty advisor for this group. It was one of the most rewarding “yeses” in my career. 

The Young Athletes program brings Special Olympians aged 2-6 to the school campus on Saturday mornings for an hour. The goal is for the athletes to work on both gross and fine motor skills in a social and relaxed environment. The athletes are paired up with a high school student (coach) for a variety of exercises and play, spending an hour each Saturday morning having fun. While we started with different stations to work on balance, throwing, building towers, …, it quickly turned into a controlled chaos: loud, joyful, and very active. The kids just wanted to have fun running, throwing, tossing, building, skipping, …

This program was started by high school students with no objective beyond doing what is good and right. The school has no community service requirements for graduation. The kids started this through the Special Olympics because they saw a need and wanted to do something. While it was supported by the adults around them, the high schoolers ran every aspect of it. I was just there to open up the gym, help them find things, and make copies if need be.

The teenagers led every aspect of the organizing and executing of these events. They made sure there were enough volunteers for each athlete to be paired. They set up the gym before things began and broke it all down at the end. 

The coaches showed up every Saturday morning with limitless energy and excitement. They did not have to be there. They chose to be there. And what was most gratifying to watch was the student that would come one morning because their buddy asked them to swing by. And then that same student would be there the next week, and the next, and the next. Eventually some of those kids would become most integral to the success of the whole program.

The student leaders would be the ones that checked in the athletes and their families each morning. For some of the young athletes, the gym can be an intimidating place. It’s big, loud, and full of activity. Every athlete was welcomed with a huge smile and a caring voice, making them know that they are important, welcome, and loved. My students’ excitement to see their athletes created a comfort and joy that was infectious to the whole group.

Each week I would see a quiet athlete running into a coach’s arms, remembering them from the previous week. I witnessed 220 lb football linemen lying on the floor building towers. Coaches and athletes would be playing games of Hide ‘n Seek. There were games of Duck, Duck, Goose that included as many as twenty athletes and coaches together.

At the end of each session I would look at the faces of the people in the gym and just have to smile. My students would be exhausted, smiling and joking. They started their Saturdays playing with children who face obstacles many of them have never had to face, making those athletes know each was the most important person in the room. The athletes were laughing after spending an hour with the “big kids.”

The athletes’ parents would be grinning and relaxed having just had an hour break. They were given time to talk to other parents about different resources in the area, or to just sit, have a cup of coffee and enjoy watching their children run and play with other kids. It was also a rare opportunity to catch their breath.

Now you may be saying, “I thought this essay was about self-advocacy?” This story seems to be about advocating for others. In reality, that’s exactly how many of these students learned to advocate for themselves. When these students (coaches) advocate for others (their athletes) by being present and active in their lives, they are also advocating for themselves. They are listening and acting on things from people who don’t have as strong a voice as they. Seeing the positive effects their actions have on what can be considered a marginal group allows them to see their own strengths when they become the marginal group. 

Many times it is easier to fight for someone else than it is yourself. I can assure you that the person who is standing up for another will be heard more seriously when they have to advocate for themselves. They have already created a dynamic that shows they are motivated by what is right for everyone, not just for themself. So if they are asking for something for themself, it must be important.

People who spend time standing beside and speaking for those whose voices are not as often heard eventually discover their own voice. They learn that speaking up isn’t selfish. It’s simply another way of recognizing that every person has value, including themselves.