Mahesh is a 10-year-old YMCA member who has autism, which makes it difficult for him to focus, socialize and follow instructions. Mahesh joined the SSYMCA’s youth basketball program during COVID and has been a participant for the last four years.
On his first day, Mahesh was highly distracted. He would run off to nearby courts, stop to watch the fan spin, and had high sensory stimulations. He didn't know how to dribble, shoot, or pass the basketball.
At first, Mahesh’s family considered discontinuing the basketball classes, but the support he received from his basketball coach Kenny and his team made them reconsider. Coaches identified Mahesh's strengths and saw that he could dribble looking up, which helped to maintain his focus. They encouraged him to participate in all the drills and games during the one-hour session, which proved to be “the game changer” for Mahesh’s family. Mahesh was never treated differently than any other child in the class, and began to handle more challenging workouts and drills.
With his coach's assistance and motivation, Mahesh made progress each session. Mahesh started to enjoy basketball and the repetition of the drills and warm-ups and was paired with other children to practice passing and taking turns while shooting. Today, Mahesh insists on practicing regularly, even during school breaks! He can now independently dribble, shoot, pass, rebound, and do 60-70% of the more challenging drills.
“It's important to have an inclusive and welcoming environment for children with special needs to learn and develop sportsmanship. Our family was lucky to have Coach Kenny and his team at South Shore YMCA” - Ashwini Imagaran
