March 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 37

own programs that worked around
a loosely based theme of early childhood development skills. Some sites
were doing ongoing programs while
others were holding one-day events.
In the fall of 2009, MCPRD TRS
staff contacted the Developmental
Pre-Kindergarten Program for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS).
Through this partnership, we were
able to develop a pilot program in the
spring of 2010. We started by serving six classrooms in four different
CMS schools, reaching 47 children
with disabilities for seven weeks of
in-school activities to develop sport
skills. The Young Athletes Field Day
celebration, held May 1, hosted more
than 30 families who came to see
what their children learned during
the almost two months of the program.
The Program
Each week of YAP focuses on a different gross motor or sport skill, including balance, running and jumping, kicking and trapping, throwing
and catching, and striking. Along
with different activities to develop
the skill, we also teach and reinforce
pre-kindergarten-level social skills,
including sharing, taking turns and
following directions. Throughout
each activity, the therapeutic recreation specialist modifies and adapts
the level of challenge based on the
skills of each student.
We are currently celebrating the
sixth year of Young Athletes programming, which has continued to
grow over the years. The number of
participants has increased more than
sevenfold since the original start date.
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation TRS staff members are currently visiting 15 CMS public schools
and one private school. That's 460

YAP Teacher
Testimonial

Throughout each Young Athletes Program
activity, therapeutic recreation specialists
modify and adapt the level of challenge
based on the skills of each student.

children seen, on average, per week!
We program for a total of at least 20
weeks during the school year - 10
weeks in the fall and 10 weeks in the
spring - and we are involved in the
Special Olympics spring games.
Going forward, we hope to eventually provide YAP to all CMS school
sites that host an Exceptional Children pre-kindergarten classroom.
TRS staff members are continuing
to develop and enhance lesson plans
every week with new and exciting
goals and objectives. We will continue working to develop new contacts
with our schools and on increasing
the number of children served. It has
been incredibly rewarding to be a part
of this program! Every year we see
new faces and have the opportunity
to work with some amazing children.
We see growth in all of the children
from the first day of YAP in the fall
to the final all-skills day in the spring.
MCPRD is looking forward to the
continued expansion of the program
and is delighted to be a part of these
developmental milestones!

Being part of the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program with
Mecklenburg County Park and
Recreation Therapeutic Recreation
Section has been a wonderful experience for me and my students.
I have now had the opportunity to
participate with the program for
two years. When my co-worker told
me about it and invited me to participate, I was ecstatic. I knew that
my students would love getting the
extra time to run, jump and play, especially while being outside.
Through YAP, the students learn
various basic sports skills that increase their strength and coordination. Many of them struggle with
their coordination skills and this
program gives them the chance
to improve. They also learn about
working together as a team in order
to complete various skills. YAP gives
students the opportunity to develop
the foundational skills they will need
to play sports in the future.
Before the start of the program,
many students did not know how to
throw a ball or to balance. Now, when
they go outside, they are eager to
work on throwing, catching and kicking. They have been given an opportunity to gain skills they may never
have learned if it wasn't for YAP. They
also are excited about playing sports
and learning that it takes practice in
order to get better! YAP has been and
will continue to be a wonderful foundational program for students with
and without disabilities.
Katherine Zuhl is a pre-kindergarten
teacher at Winding Springs Elementary
in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ariel Kliem, LRT/CTRS, is a Therapeutic
Recreation Specialist at Mecklenburg County
Park and Recreation (ariel.kliem@
mecklenburgcountync.gov).

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March 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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