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Just this morning, I came across a story that was shared by one of the organizations I follow based in Fort Myers regarding a 12 year old girl named Payton Gibbs, who is on the Autism Spectrum and was banned from being alongside her father at the local high school football games for “safety purposes.”
However, the way that Payton was forced off the sidelines does come into question and makes you wonder that this was possibly a case of discrimination simply because there are other groups of people that are on the sidelines such as ball boys and volunteer children. It doesn’t make sense for something like this to happen.
There is also a hint of ableism involved in this scenario because Payton is neurodivergent. To be fair, Payton clearly has an interest in coaching as a whole. Her father is an assistant coach for the high school football team and there is no better on the job training than being out in the field of a desired passion.
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Now, imagine you are doing on the job training and all of a sudden you are forced out of it for “safety purposes.” What did the school fear in having her on the sidelines? Did they have a fear that she would wander onto the field? Were they afraid that they would be viewed differently by the superintendent? Were they trying to maintain a status quo? These are the questions that go through my mind as I read this story.
One of the important factors I hammer in my work is that it’s never too late to start preparing to follow your dreams and on the job training, no matter how old you are, is essential. Payton clearly has a future and she is building on that future. Sometimes, people are just so sensitive to the fact that either they are looking out for themselves or they don’t want to be upstaged.
In the same article, North Carolina State Football’s Dave Doeren, who has a neurodivergent son, says that Payton does in fact, belong on the sidelines at her dad’s high school and that administration needs to give her a chance.
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“Somebody needs to fight for Payton,” Doeren said. “Somebody needs to help her do what she wants to do. People need to get out of the way. Young people deserve to have dreams.”
-Dave Doeren, North Carolina State Football Head Coach
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Believe me, I got all the chances I needed to be successful in my educational journey and among those chances was to survive in the woods for three days in 8th grade in June of 2003 as well as attending a sensory filled trip to New York City in March of 2007. Those experiences were among those who molded me into the person I am today, and Payton is no different. Her being on the sidelines will make her into the person she will one day.
In fact, this all reminds me of an episode of “Angelina Ballerina,” where Angelina Mouseling faced a similar situation and had to prove herself that she could play as well as any boy mouse. The episode is called “No Match for Angelina” and I’ll post the link here for you guys to watch it.
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In conclusion, I stand clearly with Payton and I hope she is back where she belongs soon!!
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Catch you all later!!
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