MANILA, Philippines - Ten teams of handicapped children wowed the rain-drenched crowds at the first Special Cup kickoff at the La Salle Greenhills football field last August 20. Despite the downpour and their physical, mental, and emotional handicaps, the junior booters played like pros.
In the newest division of the Football for Good Program, the young bloods were militant but non-combative. When yellow-carded for errors, instead of cursing and hurling fists, the children laughed and threw their arms around each other.
Although sportsmanship was a reward in itself, teams and coaches were awarded medals and kids were given parcels. Innocent eyes widened at the sight of loot bags bursting with food items, and jaded eyes misted over at the sight of youths full of camaraderie and inspiration.
“The philosophy of the Special Cup is inclusion. It enables and empowers individuals with special needs to participate in activities that normal people do,” says Dolores Cheng, founder of the Center for Possibilities for special children and president of the Rotary Club of San Juan GEMS. Both organizations sponsored the Football for Good Program.
Under the watchful eye of football orgnizer Ed Formoso, the Henry V. Moran Foundation began this grassroots development program last year.
Held every three months, the program for this quarter grouped 600 children into three divisions. The third division was set up to compete for the Special Cup, which involved handicapped scholars mainly from Manila, with the exception of the students from Baguio that raised the cup in victory.
That team went the distance and will go even further to represent the Philippines at the Special Games in Jakarta on Sept. 23. These kids put the “able” in “disabled.”
The Center For Possibilities, Inc. is a non-profit foundation working for the benefit of children with developmental disabilities and their families. Since 2008, the foundation has been conducting parent support group meetings with invited speakers to offer insight, inspiration, and advice to the parents of special-needs children. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.possibilitiescenter.org.