‘They don’t have problems; we’re the ones who limit them’
People with mental disabilities are equally, if not more, capable than the rest of us, according to William Pérez, a physical education teacher who has worked for 28 years with youngsters with differing levels of disability and is one of the trainers for Puerto Rico’s delegation at the Latin American Special Olympics to be held here Feb. 20 to 28 on the island.
“They never say no,” said Pérez, while pointing to the iron will with which his pupils face challenges in sports. “The good thing they have is that they never say no. They are always ready to work with everything they are given. They don’t have any problems; we are the ones who limit them.”
To successfully teach each sport, one has to place oneself at the level of his athletes, said the trainer who specializes in football and modified baseball.
“We have to get to their level. We should never lose our inner child, because once we get down to their level they are willing to work with the various levels of training. One must always be considerate and evaluate them in a gradual manner so they can gain strength, acquire abilities and gain confidence in themselves, in addition to bringing parents in so that they are part of the training,” Pérez said.
As a trainer to Special Olympians, Pérez must be a teacher, a counselor, psychologist, father figure and friend. “That’s the essential part of working with them: You must do so with the feeling and values they require. What they require is that we love them, because, I repeat, they never say no.”
Pérez called on the relatives of people with disabilities to support them, and said sports provides a channel for family members to socialize and help them develop their skills and increase their self esteem.
“It doesn’t what condition your boy or girl may have, don’t put blocks in their way. Let them develop themselves in the sport that they want. This is a job that not only falls to the trainer, but also parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. Work with them. They must be supported in order for them to demonstrate their abilities,” Pérez said.
An example is Héctor De Jesús, who has participated in the Special Olympics program for 12 years, 11 of which he has dedicated to swimming, a sport in which he has represented Puerto Rico as far away as the World Games in China.
At the World Games, De Jesús won third, fifth and sixth place among more than 100 competitors.
The perseverance of this Ponce-born swimmer, whose specialties are the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, and his many achievements, led the Organizing Committee of the II Latin American Special Olympics to designate him as the official flag-bearer for the Puerto Rican delegation.
De Jesús, who received the Puerto Rican flag from Gov. Fortuño with uninhibited glee, said: “It is an honor because many athletes would want to carry the flag.”
The Puerto Rican delegation is made up of 220 athletes who will compete in basketball, swimming, weight lifting, tennis, football, gymnastics, softball and the triathlon.
De Jesús promised he would give his best to ensure Puerto Rico’s name is held high during the games, adding, “the competition is very strong.”
“They never say no,” said Pérez, while pointing to the iron will with which his pupils face challenges in sports. “The good thing they have is that they never say no. They are always ready to work with everything they are given. They don’t have any problems; we are the ones who limit them.”
To successfully teach each sport, one has to place oneself at the level of his athletes, said the trainer who specializes in football and modified baseball.
“We have to get to their level. We should never lose our inner child, because once we get down to their level they are willing to work with the various levels of training. One must always be considerate and evaluate them in a gradual manner so they can gain strength, acquire abilities and gain confidence in themselves, in addition to bringing parents in so that they are part of the training,” Pérez said.
As a trainer to Special Olympians, Pérez must be a teacher, a counselor, psychologist, father figure and friend. “That’s the essential part of working with them: You must do so with the feeling and values they require. What they require is that we love them, because, I repeat, they never say no.”
Pérez called on the relatives of people with disabilities to support them, and said sports provides a channel for family members to socialize and help them develop their skills and increase their self esteem.
“It doesn’t what condition your boy or girl may have, don’t put blocks in their way. Let them develop themselves in the sport that they want. This is a job that not only falls to the trainer, but also parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. Work with them. They must be supported in order for them to demonstrate their abilities,” Pérez said.
An example is Héctor De Jesús, who has participated in the Special Olympics program for 12 years, 11 of which he has dedicated to swimming, a sport in which he has represented Puerto Rico as far away as the World Games in China.
At the World Games, De Jesús won third, fifth and sixth place among more than 100 competitors.
The perseverance of this Ponce-born swimmer, whose specialties are the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, and his many achievements, led the Organizing Committee of the II Latin American Special Olympics to designate him as the official flag-bearer for the Puerto Rican delegation.
De Jesús, who received the Puerto Rican flag from Gov. Fortuño with uninhibited glee, said: “It is an honor because many athletes would want to carry the flag.”
The Puerto Rican delegation is made up of 220 athletes who will compete in basketball, swimming, weight lifting, tennis, football, gymnastics, softball and the triathlon.
De Jesús promised he would give his best to ensure Puerto Rico’s name is held high during the games, adding, “the competition is very strong.”
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