For students in PE, having the right equipment can make the difference between sitting on the sidelines and finding a way to participate.

At Cordata Elementary, PE teacher David Mazur works with students from pre-K through fifth grade who have a wide range of physical, cognitive, and sensory needs. Last year, he noticed that many of the soft balls his students relied on were worn out: misshapen, ripped, or no longer rolling and bouncing as they should.

For students who already face challenges in physical education, unreliable equipment could become another barrier.

“If they're not getting something that's reliable, that's doing what it's supposed to do, it's just not going to make them successful,” David said. “And if they're not successful, they start getting frustrated.

”A grant from BPSF allowed David to replace the worn equipment with new soft balls, beach balls, and other tools designed to make movement activities safer and more accessible.

The difference was immediate. The new equipment was easier to catch and throw, more durable, and, perhaps most importantly, gave David more ways to adapt activities to individual students.

One student in Cordata's special education program especially benefited. Because the student participated in adaptive PE in the classroom rather than regularly coming to the gym, David hadn't had many opportunities to build a relationship with him.

Using the new soft balls, David introduced activities like color sorting, and eventually discovered something the student really enjoyed: basketball.

“We were able to take those balls, they're soft or squishy, and throw them in the room without any repercussions,” David said. “And we found something that he really enjoyed.”

That discovery became a way to connect. As David introduced more activities, the student became increasingly engaged and began sharing more with others. His special education teacher noticed the change, too. “Because of your class, he's really opened up his sharing because he's excited about it,” David recalled the teacher telling him.

For David, that's what inclusive PE is really about: giving every student the tools to experience success.“It wasn't a simple donation of equipment,” he said. “It was student success, confidence, inclusion.”

Your support helps students with diverse needs participate, move, and succeed alongside their peers.