The Kinect Sports summer kickball season will begin on June 6. The league also has basketball in the winter at Southcrest Baptist Church in Bessemer.By Rubin E. Grant
As her autistic daughter, Taylor, reached her mid-20s, Dawn Duffy was looking for some social and physical engagement for her.
Two years ago, Duffy found out about the Kinect Sports League run by The Hands Program, which opened in 2006 for children diagnosed with autism and their families.
Courtney King, founder, executive director and behavior analyst for The Hands Program, decided to add Kinect Sports to their list of services.
“Kinect is one of three programs through the Alabama Autism Assistance Program,” King said. “We provide opportunities for people with exceptional needs, such as autism, Down syndrome, physical limitations, etc., 12 and up to participate in team sports and social activities.
The Kinect Sports summer kickball season will begin on June 6. “We meet every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road. We typically have around 20-25 participants. It is a blast,” King said.
Taylor, now 28, is one of those having a blast.
“It’s a great social and physical activity for Taylor,” said Duffy, who lives in North Shelby County. “It means the world to us. It helps her be more social and to be around people like her.
“Courtney has been working with Taylor since she was 5, so we know she’s in good hands. And Taylor just loves kickball.”
The league also has basketball in the winter at Southcrest Baptist Church in Bessemer.
“Thanks to donations and grants this is free for all who want to play,” King said. “Our motto is #allarewelcome and we do all that we can to make sure everyone who wants to play is included.”
That was the main attraction for Matt Maini, whose autistic daughter, Alisha, 26, participates, coming in from Southside near Gadsden to play.
“Everything is free of charge, so that’s a good thing,” Maini said. “Alisha enjoys it. She has a lot of good friends involved in it and she gets to hang out with them for about two hours. It’s pretty entertaining.”
Alisha also has been involved with Hands for a number of years.
“She goes to Hands on Tuesday and then heads to Kinect,” Maini said. “She does pretty good playing kickball, and we have a good time.”
King said sports is only part of their fun activities. They also have parties and other social opportunities throughout the year, such as holiday parties and dinners out.
In addition to Kinect Sports, the Alabama Autism Assistance Program provides behavioral therapy for individuals diagnosed with autism through The Hands Program and financial assistance for families of people with special needs through the JP2 Foundation. The JP2 Foundation was created in memory of Jess Phillips and J.P. Durham, both behavior therapists at AAAP/Hands.
Hands has locations in Birmingham, on Shadow Wood Park near Valleydale Road, and in Tuscaloosa, on Old Greensboro Road. It has provided one-on-one and small group behavioral therapy as well as training and consultation services for more than 10 years.
“At Hands, we believe that it is not the diagnosis that matters,” King said. “We focus on each person individually and help them reach their full potential.”
For more information about The Hands Program, visit thehandsprogram.org.
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