STAR Basketball continues for the second week in a row. All the kids and mentors are on the court shooting, passing, dribbling, or just running around. But there are two kids that stand out: Daniel Feitelberg and Mitch. I have been coming to this program since it began and Kayla was 3 years old and so have Daniel and Mitch. But Mitch isn’t holding a ball or throwing a ball. He is in his upright walker running around the entire gym for almost the entire time, with his mentor, Daniel following right behind.
Mitch is a 5th grader at Central School in South Burlington and Daniel is a Sophomore at South Burlington High School. Although matched up 4 years ago through STAR basketball, Daniel was Mitch’s bus buddy when Mitch was entering kindergarten. These two have developed an amazing connection throughout the years. When I was walking with them, Daniel would tell Mitch to keep moving and Mitch would break out in this huge grin and begin to move his legs.
It is empowering to sit in the stands and see Daniel show up for the last four years and walk around and around the gym with Mitch right beside him. The empathy, compassion, and patience that Daniel exhibits is incredible. Mitch suffers from cerebral palsy which was a result of a brain injury caused by a congenital arachnoid cyst when he was just two weeks old.
Mitch needs help with all of his daily living activities. He uses a TAOS walker system, with braces on his legs to help him get around both at STAR basketball and at school. Mitch is also considered non-verbal, although he is a good communicator using his own signs and word approximations. But this didn’t deter Daniel from working with Mitch. He dove right in as an 7th grader willing to help a 2nd grader with special needs. That takes someone very special.
When I asked Daniel what is the best thing about STAR basketball his answer was pure and simple: “It makes people recognize what someone else is going through every day in their lives”. That is pretty remarkable for a sophomore to understand. I have always said that having a special needs child can be challenging but to work with these children takes a very special individual.
The impact that Daniel and Mitchel have on one another is powerful. You can see it every week as they walk around the gym: smiling, laughing, and just being two boys helping each other out. Mitch’s mother says that Mitch loves going to STAR basketball so he can hang out with Daniel. Definitely another amazing thing to see at the EDGE Sports and Fitness in Essex on a Saturday afternoon!