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WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS TO KIND OF CREATE A SPORT THAT NOBODY'S DONE HERE.
SO THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF WAS RUGBY.
I KNEW USA RUGBY AT SOME POINT, DID A A TOUCH, DID LIKE A FLAG INITIATIVE.
AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, HOW CAN I EVOLVE THAT TO, TO HERE? AND I FOUND TOUCH RUGBY.
ONCE WE DECIDED TO START DOING THE PROGRAM, I GOT IN TOUCH WITH NOLA GOLD AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS CLOSE TO THEIR HEART, SOMETHING CLOSE TO OURS.
AND SO WE MET AND WE KIND OF TURNED INTO THIS, THE COACHES THAT HELPED US WITH THIS PROGRAM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PLAYERS ON NOLA GOLD'S ROSTER.
THE MAIN THING ABOUT THIS WAS TO GIVE OUR ATHLETES AN AVENUE TO COMPETE A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT ALSO TO WORK ON TEAM BUILDING, TO WORK ON INTERACTIVE PLAYING.
THE REACTIONS OF OUR ATHLETES ARE JUST PHENOMENAL.
THE PARENTS' REACTIONS, YOU KNOW, THEIR REACT TO SEEING THE SUCCESS OF THEIR ATHLETE ON THE FIELD.
AND THE ATHLETES ABSOLUTELY JUST LOVE IT.
THEY KIND OF WERE LIKE IN THEIR SHELL WHEN THEY STARTED WITH THIS LAST YEAR, AND NOW THEY'RE STARTING TO PLAY AND THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THEIR SHELL SOCIALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WHAT UNIFIED IS, IS THAT IT, WE TAKE OUR ATHLETES, OUR SPECIAL NEEDS ATHLETES, SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES, REMARKABLE ATHLETES, IF YOU'LL, OUR REMARKABLE ATHLETES ARE PAIRED UP WITH PERSONS OF REGULAR INTELLECTUAL ABILITY, THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY WHATSOEVER.
AND SO WHAT IT'S DESIGNED TO DO IS THAT IT'S DESIGNED THE, THE PARTNERS, LIKE WE CALL 'EM PARTNERS.
SO THE PARTNERS WORK IN UNISON WITH THE ATHLETES THROUGH ALL OF OUR SPORTS.
AND BASICALLY THEY'RE USED AS A CONDUIT FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR SPECIAL NEEDS ATHLETES.
THE ONE THING ABOUT OUR RUGBY PROGRAM HERE IS THAT IT'S, IT'S UNIFIED AND IT'S INCLUSIVE.
SO ATHLETES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, UH, ATHLETES WHO DO NOT HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS, EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU PAY THE $7 INSURANCE FEE, YOU COULD COME PLAY.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU RESIDE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, ORLEANS, ST.
TAMMANY, YOU CAN BE A PART OF THE ACTION HERE AT REAL AREA.