Daniel Creed, a 15 year old freshman in high school, was determined to play football. Watching him play on our Adapted Football team, you would never imagine he was born three months premature, has cerebral palsy, and just started to run when he was 11 years old. As a young child, all his toys were adapted to accommodate his gross motor and fine motor abilities which are not as highly refined, making it challenging for him to catch a ball. Though fully ambulatory, his balance is still not as good as he would like, and he has difficulty running on surfaces other than flat.

Daniel is not one to turn away from a challenge that appears too difficult. As an avid Cleveland Browns fan, he sought out information on area football programs that he could join. The nearest program that could provide competitive football for his abilities was 80 miles from his North Lima home, with the Achievement Centers for Children. His parents made the commitment to make the weekly trips to Bedford Heights for Daniel to be able to play on the team. By playing football, his mother, Charn said, “He has increased his ability to run on uneven surfaces, he’s gotten stronger, and he’s improved his coordination.”

Daniel’s mother feels their entire family benefits form his playing football. Traveling to the game, Daniel is very excited about what he will be doing; after the game, he relives the game, the plays, and talks about his team mates. All the families at the games are supportive of each other and cheer for all the players, which they find so very important, especially for players facing extraordinary challenges and scoring real “touchdowns” in life.