LaGrange, NY Sports Programs Provide Safe Haven for Young Athletes with Disabilities
Feldman, Kleidman, Collins & Sappe LLP (FKC&S) Founder Jeff Feldman recently joined a variety of radio stations in the Hudson Valley, including WGNY, WHUD, WSPK and WBPM, to share more about a community initiative near to his heart, the LaGrange Soccer Club’s (LSC) TOPSoccer program — Special Stars. Coming up on August 11, Jeff will also be featured on Conor Walsh’s In Touch program where he’ll share more about his time as the president of the LaGrange Soccer Club, the creation and benefits of the Special Stars program, how to get involved and what it’s been like working with Coach Andrew (Drew) Moroney, who has been honored by Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) as “Coach of the Year” and has been supporting the program for more than 10 years. Once it airs, you can listen to the interview at https://hudsonvalleycountry.com/tags/in-touch/.
In the fall of 1998, LSC hosted a coaching clinic at Stringham Park and one of the participating players had a brother with special needs observing from the sidelines. New to the administration of organized soccer at the time, Jeff asked several people if there were opportunities for children with special needs to participate in the sport. There were inclusive opportunities for baseball at the time, but unfortunately prior attempts at launching a special needs soccer program had not been made.
With the permission of the LSC Board, Jeff contacted several pediatricians at The Children’s Medical Group in Poughkeepsie, as well as special needs educators, parents of kids with special needs, physical education teachers involved in Special Olympics and others to gather information and ideas for the program. By the spring of 1999, the Special Stars program was up and running and it’s been a safe haven for children and families in the community ever since.
Designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl who has a mental, learning or physical disability, the community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities is operated by youth soccer association volunteers. The organization’s goal is to enable the thousands of young athletes with disabilities to become valued and successful members of the US Youth Soccer family.
“This program gives the children a chance to play at the same time and in the same place as their siblings and provides a therapeutic outlet for them to make friends, get active, have fun and find support,” said Jeff. “There’s nothing these children can’t accomplish if given the opportunity.”
Participants range from age five to 21 and include children with developmental or other disabilities. Residency in the town of LaGrange is not required. Once enrolled in the program, the children are grouped by physical ability and play on adjoining fields with other LaGrange Soccer Club teams, creating a more inclusive environment for players and parents alike. A highlight of the program is that players from local travel, high school and college teams support the players as mentors, helping them with drills and skill-building. After experiencing what it’s like to volunteer, many opt to return often and dedicate their time.
“I’ve supported many wonderful nonprofit organizations over the years as a volunteer,” said Jeff. “Of all the things I’ve been involved in, helping to create this program is most meaningful to me.”
Jeff credits the success of the program to many educators, as well as the LSC board and the dedicated coaches, players, families and supporters who have participated over the years. The Town of LaGrange Town Board has been particularly supportive and instrumental in the success of the program.
Aside from Special Stars, there are a variety of sports programs in LaGrange that are geared toward children with special needs. Special Stars and Challenger Baseball run in the spring and fall, while Challenger Bowling is offered in the summer and winter, all supported by Town of LaGrange Town Board.
To register for Special Stars (accepting players year-round) or find out more about any of these remarkable programs, call Jeff at 845–897–5199 or email him at jeff@fkcs.law. He can answer questions and provide individualized information. You can also learn more by going to lagrangesoccer.org or lagrangeny.gov/departments/parks-recreation/town-sports.
Originally published at https://www.fkcs.law on August 9, 2024.
