Fox High School recently provided a preview of what the Best Buddies program will bring to the Fox C-6 School District school next year, while raising money to start the fledgling program.
The school held an all-inclusive flag football game on May 7 in Gerald O’Connor Stadium.
The game had members of the football team play alongside students with special needs and featured performances by the Sparkle Squad, which is made up of students with special needs.
Jennifer Johnson, a Fox High physical education and adaptive physical education teacher, said about 250 people attended the game, which cost a minimum donation of $1 to watch.
She said the school also sold T-shirts, and members of the Best Buddies program collected about $2,000 to start their chapter next year.
Best Buddies International is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to creating one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“The community answered the call,” said Johnson, who will sponsor Fox High’s Best Buddies chapter along with special services teachers Gabrielle Hadler and Bill Flotho. “The students and community supported (the game). It was one of the best nights.”
Johnson said 16 students with special needs along with 12 members of Fox High’s football team played in the flag football game.
“The players felt like football players for the night,” she said. “They got to run through the tunnel and score touchdowns.
“To see the joy of the special education students watching the football players and the football players helping them out, the interaction was amazing. They are friends at school. It is something they connected with and have in common. That is what inclusivity and Best Buddies is, giving them that opportunity. Football players wouldn’t get to work with the boys without it.”
Johnson said football rules were loosely applied during the game, and one of the referees was the school’s mascot, Arnold the Fox.
“They had secret plays during the game,” she said. “One of the students put the football under his shirt and ran. Arnold the Fox carried one of the boys to make a touchdown. They felt like football players, even though no flag rules applied. They had a great time.”
Johnson said seven students with disabilities performed on the Sparkle Squad, which had its halftime routine choreographed by cheerleader Matti Munday. She said five members of the Fox High cheerleading or Warriorettes dance team performed with the Sparkle Squad.
“The girls and boys on the (Sparkle Squad) are so excited to perform,” she said. “When I started it last year, we started with performances at assemblies. The response from the students was so overwhelming that we are growing it more and performing at more events. We have added assemblies, and we will perform during the football homecoming game.”
Johnson said there were 14 students, who are cadets in her adaptive physical education class and assist the students with special needs throughout the school year; they helped throughout the game.
“They are the most wonderful cadets,” she said. “They love those (students with special needs), and they gave up their time to be on the bench with them.”
Johnson said the flag football game resembled a Friday night regular season football game, and it included performances by 50 members of the school’s band.
“There were touchdowns, and we played the fight song,” she said.
Johnson said the game was held to create seed money for the Best Buddies program, which is believed to be the first chapter to start in Jefferson County.
“We needed a revolving account, which is an item that (Best Buddies) requires,” she said. “They recommend that you have about $1,000 to start. It is to hold events, like the flag football game. It also can help to pay for sending our president to the University of Indiana for their Best Buddies convention. It is a wonderful thing for us to be involved in.”
Johnson said the Best Buddies program plans to hold the flag football game every year in May. She said the game will be called the Buddy Bowl.
“The date worked out amazing,” she said. “The weather was beautiful. It was in the 60s with no rain. It was a wonderful night.”