Emily Dolton
and
Movin’ Groovin’
Imperial Valley parents build programs for kids with disabilities Jackie Riddell’s son Killian safely played in the recreational baseball program for as long as he could. His needs were greater than those of his peers, so Jackie knew he needed something different. As part of the Calipatria Little League in Imperial Valley, Riddell started a Challenger Division, an inclusive program that teaches traditional Little League rules with less structured play for kids who need to use adaptive equipment, more time to get to the bases, or social breaks. When soccer season came, Riddell formed her own team of seven players and discovered another team of kids with special needs in nearby Calexico, run by mom Paulette Ramirez. Ramirez was initially concerned that the physical needs of the two teams were too different for cooperative play, but after a season of playing separately, the two groups merged to form the Goleros Soccer Team. In two years, they have grown from 14 to 32 players and have watched student confidence skyrocket. The enthusiastic moms formed the nonprofit Best S.T.E.P. Forward and looked for their next outlet. “We have always tried to incorporate music into training,” says Riddell, “so we thought we’d start a dance group.” Other parents were skeptical because none of them were dancers, but they noticed that the kids were already starting to express themselves through music. One parent’s adult daughter is a DJ who loves to dance. She put together a YouTube channel with music and dance lessons, and the kids
80 • SNRFSD.org • SanDiegofamily.com • flourishing families 2021
