Jets, Moody’s and Special Olympics NY bring inclusive HS football to MetLife Stadium
The growing program brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities, giving all athletes the chance to compete side by side on the same field.
More Stories
The New York Jets, Moody’s and Special Olympics New York teamed up to put inclusivity at the forefront of high school sports, as MetLife Stadium hosted the City Championship for the NYC High School Unified Flag Football League.
The growing program brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities, giving all athletes the chance to compete side by side on the same field.
For many participants, it’s an opportunity they’ve never had before. “Look, it’s great sports here today, but it really is all about inclusion,” said Stacey Hengsterman, president and CEO of Special Olympics New York. “These are students with and without disabilities playing together on the same team. For people with disabilities, it might be the first time they’ve ever been able to be on a school team.”
Despite chilly weather, enthusiasm never dipped.
“When we gave the schools the option to postpone, they said no — they wanted to be out there,” said Jesse Linder, the Jets’ vice president of community relations. “When they walked in and saw the lights on and the field, they were excited.”
