Complex opens horizons for special-needs youths
Like many children with autism, Quint Rule, 11, has struggled to express himself socially and break out of his shell.
But at the Adaptive Sports Complex at Langham Creek Family YMCA in northwest Houston, Quint finds opportunities for fun.
The complex, which is the largest in the greater Houston area for adaptive play, recently opened a nearly 7,000-squarefoot playground for children with disabilities. A year before, a youth-size adaptive baseball field opened on the same grounds.
No other adaptive playground-field combo exists in the region.
It’s a safe haven for children such as Quint, who need sensory and social opportunities.
“Those interactions are a big thing for these kids. It’s hard for them,” said Jennifer Rule, his mother.
Both live a couple of miles from the complex and Quint attends Westview School, a private West Houston campus for children with autism.
“Interactions, speech, being physical — everyday things we take for granted, he struggles with,” Rule said. “It’s nice for him to have something like the field and playground.”
On a recent Wednesday, Quint played in the complex’s second competitive baseball game. He participates in the Miracle League, a national nonprofit organization that operates sports groups for children with disabilities ages 4-19.
The Langham Creek Y has hosted Miracle League activities for sports such as baseball, flag football and basketball for four years.
Youths in the program
practice baseball on Saturdays, but competitive play between teams started this year on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Like the new playground, the most crucial adaptive tool on the field is the rubberized synthetic turf, a mushy ground safe for kids who use wheelchairs or have balance issues.
The complex serves more than 1,000 children with special needs, according to Gina Witherspoon, the Y’s board chair.
Quint stood between second and third base on the stormy day, his right hand gripping his left wrist behind his thin, 5-foot frame.
His head would shyly peer down. But then the opposing team would strike the ball and he would perk up, chase the ball and rally with teammates.
The same would happen on his first at bat, when he pounded the ball past the pitcher, running to first base and high-fiving coaches seconds later. When teammates had the same success, Quint, outfitted with a black “Giants” uniform reminiscent of the professional team from San Francisco, would curl his fingers around the fence from a dugout and jolt up and down.
The interactions and play are priceless for Quint, his mother said. And the new playground only adds to that value.
Quint was there only days after the playground’s April 9 debut. His favorite play structure is a limegreen ride he sits in and can twirl himself and others around like a tea cup.
The playground has a wide gray path large enough for those in wheelchairs to roll through. It has sensory tools such as a built-in xylophone along the walkway and a sensory play center with visual and sound elements. It has a swing set with large baby seats that children can be strapped into. Similar seats are also found on a nearby seesaw.
“The playground will be great for his physical (occupational therapy),” Rule’s mother said. “It feels great that our kids can do this here. He’ll use the playground all the time.”
To members on the Y’s board, building the playground seemed necessary after constructing the baseball field, which doubles as grounds for some of the other adaptive sports the Y hosts, according to Witherspoon. Before, safety hazards on a grass field hindered play for children with special needs.
The adaptive combination isn’t a new idea, but it is new to Texas. The Lake Houston Family YMCA is building an identical sports complex, but overall, there’s a lack of these facilities, Jennifer Rule said.
That’s changing, said Matt Thompson, the Y’s district executive director.
“There is a lot more attention being brought to this population. We are seeing more and more inclusion. It’s all about awareness for these individuals,” Thompson said. “The kiddos that play out here … they are just like everyone else. They want to have fun. They smile and go through the same struggles everyone else does. They just process things a bit differently.”