RUSH CITY—It was a chance for special education physical education students to experience what their peers get to do each year. The "it" was the 2nd annual mid-May DAPE (Developmental Adapted Physical Education) Challenge which drew close to 100 kids from North Branch, Chisago Lakes, Taylors Falls, Pine City, East Central and Rush City to the track at Rush City Schools. From the T-ball hit and the human hurdle to the soccer kick challenge, frisbee toss and long jump, the kids had a chance to compete in nine events during their own track and field day.
"The DAPE teachers within the St. Croix River Education District (SCRED) district decided most schools have a track meet in May but our kids kind of get lost," SCRED DAPE instructor Darla Beckmann explained. "Even if they did attend, they weren't very active participants." The challenge changes all of that. "We wanted to design an activity where they could participate in everything," she continued. The event was a great success.
"It gives the kids a chance to have their own track and field day and it gives them an opportunity to meet students from other communities," Mark Henrich, Rush City K-12 physical education and DAPE teacher, and host school of Wednesday's event, explained. "It's a chance to have some fun outdoors and to compete in a fun atmosphere."
"It gives the special education students the same opportunities every other student gets," Stephanie Meyers, a special education teacher at North Branch, agreed. "It gives our kids an opportunity to compete and do some fun sports."
The adults in attendance at the challenge were a great asset. "The teachers and the staff who are assisting the students really have a lot of enthusiasm, as do the high school students who are volunteering at each station," Beckmann pointed out.
"The staff who did it last year are excited to be back again and the new people are excited about today's event," Wayne Hansmann, a physical education and special education/DAPE teacher at Pine City, noted. "These kids get a chance to do what their peers do but it's low key — they're working hard and their doing their best." But in the end, it's about the kids having a good time. "They're all laughing and have smiles on their faces," Hansmann pointed out.
Joe Thimm, the principal at Taylors Falls Elementary was on hand to witness that fun. "It gives them a chance to have a little competition and feel what it is like to be involved in an event like this," he said of the challenge. "It's fun competition — it's what they can do against themselves, not against other kids." He said his kids, who didn't participate in last year's inaugural event, were pretty excited. "It's a team event so I got team shirts for everybody," Thimm explained. "The kids' shirts even have numbers on the back."
While most of the events were on or near the track to avoid the issue of wet grass, the human hurdle was an event designed for the interior of the track. The event, designed as a team event, was to begin with one student hurdling or moving around a student lying on the ground. The student who did the hurdling would then make a second "hurdle," a third student would then hurdle the two students on the ground, create a third "hurdle" and so on.
"We saved that event for last because the grass was wet when we started, but then our students got hungry," Beckmann said with a laugh. Once lunch was over, however, a few of the schools chose to attempt the event. Wednesday was a beautiful day for the challenge. "We couldn't have asked for better weather," she noted. "Plus, I think things always go better the second time around.
Plans are already in the making for next year's challenge. "We had thought that it would be nice to move the DAPE Challenge each year from site to site," Beckmann concluded, "We'd like Pine City to consider hosting next year." Deb Edwards, a special education teacher in Pine City, agreed. "I'll be talking with my athletic director about hosting the event next May," she said.
By Todd Beckmann, Contributing Writer