PROVO UT – Dozens of children with special needs played sports with BYU’s student-athletes as a part of BYU’s second annual Inclusive Sports day.
For the second year in a row, BYU Athletics hosted a day of activities with local children together with the Inclusive Sports Foundation. Elementary school students with special needs visited the Indoor Practice Facility (IPF) and played sports with BYU student-athlete volunteers. Members of each team participated in the event, giving dozens of children the opportunity to try new games as they visited different stations throughout the IPF.
All the children who visited were extremely enthusiastic about the different activities. Otto Schreiner from BYU men’s tennis commented on how incredible it was to watch so many different kids have fun all in the same place, at the same time.
"Inclusive Sports day was very fun,” Schreiner said, “For me, the highlight was being at the basketball station and seeing them sink deep 3's.”
Besides the basketball hoops, there were also stations for gymnastics, volleyball, and football, as well as other hands-on games like cornhole and Jenga. Some children moved between the stations, while others repeatedly got back in line for their favorite activities. Regardless of where they were, everyone was smiling, both kids and student-athletes alike.
Matt Lance, the founder and CEO of the Inclusive Sports Foundation, cheered on children as they threw footballs and tackled practice dummies. His organization was founded in 2018 with the goal of fostering inclusivity, compassion, and social interaction, by bringing special needs children and student-athletes together through physical activities. The Inclusive Sports Foundation was recognized as the California non-profit of the year in 2024.
“What a week we’ve had at Inclusive Sports Foundation,” Lance said on Instagram after the event. “Thank you to all who made this day possible. Here’s to continuing to build a more connected world—one game at a time.”
That same week, the Inclusive Sports Foundation also coordinated with Westcliff University, San Diego University, and Utah State University to give hundreds of special-needs children unforgettable experiences with student-athletes. Expectations are high for next spring, when Inclusive Sports day will return for a third year.