SNAP Program Offers New Opportunities

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Above are the SNAP participants and volunteers.

Davis Goode, Editor-in-Chief

Earlier this year, Hingham Sports Partnership and Hingham Special Education Parents Advisory Council joined forces to create the South Shore Special Needs Athletic Partnership, or SNAP, to facilitate more sports and recreational opportunity for special needs kids in Hingham. This program is designed to help kids with special needs participate in sports and activities that would not normally be available to them.
The first program that SNAP created was in rowing. From late May to early June, Hingham High School rowers met with SNAP participants twice a week at Wompatuck State Park to exercise on rowing machines, complete calisthenics, and learn the ins and outs of one of the most rigorous sports offered at HHS.
By all accounts, SNAP participants exceeded expectations and demonstrated the power and importance of competition in every child’s life. SNAP volunteers from the rowing team were lauded by parents, organizers, and participants for their teaching abilities and willingness to offer their time and energy towards a very rewarding program.
Students at Hingham High School continually achieve new feats in sports; whether it be winning a state title, fostering All-American athletes, or setting new standards of work ethic for surrounding towns. Hingham athletes proved that by volunteering for the SNAP program, they are not only committed to winning, but they are committed to inclusion and opportunity for all HHS students. While many SNAP athletes are just starting out on their individual sports ventures, they deserve an outlet for competitive drive just like every other athlete at HHS.
The objective of sports at the high school is to build character around the tenets of respect, dedication, and hard-work, but athletes also have a commitment to the greater high school community, and sharing a skill in sports will help to develop a more positive school climate. Hayes Shea, a volunteer for the SNAP program, has been a boy’s crew coach for nine years. She helped to design the rowing program for SNAP participants, and she described it as an “experience indelibly imprinted on your heart and soul”.
HHS Senior Luke Anderson represents the result of school community support for special needs students in sports. Luke participated in indoor, outdoor, and cross-country track, and received the Frank Kelley Athlete Adversity Award from the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association in Randolph. Luke proves that with a support system, the task of overcoming adversity becomes much less difficult. The SNAP program could be that support system, and any one of the SNAP athletes could receive the honor which Luke received with hard work, dedication, and support from their school community.
The SNAP program will continue to conduct events around Hingham. If you are interested in hearing more or helping out, please email southshoresnap@gmail.com.