Felicia Newell has the same interests as any other 17-year-old girl: she likes to exercise, dance and play sports. The only difference is that Newell has cerebral palsy, which Mayo Clinic defines as “a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture that is caused by injury or abnormal development in the immature brain, most often before birth.” Her condition also resulted in a mild case of mental retardation.
But during the prep softball season, all that fell by the wayside.
Newell set out to join the Gilroy softball team and ended up making the JV squad despite never playing before.
“(I wanted to play) to get some exercise,” Newell said. “I felt proud. It was really good.”
Newell has been raised in a sports orientated family. Her mother plays soccer and her father and brother are hockey players. Being raised in such a sports friendly environment led Newell to want to be part of a team, too. Her teacher Ramona Trevino suggested she try out for the softball team and after some practice with dad Sean, she earned her way onto the team.
“The JV team was great and friendly, really receptive,” Athletic Director Julie Berggren said. “They had a great time together and I think they learned a lot from each other. It was a fun experience.”
While the experience was mostly postivie, not everything was smooth sailing for Newell. While playing softball, she did experience some adversity on the field in the form of harsh words being directed at her, something that Newell had never experienced before.
“At her age and her capacity, it hit her hard,” Newell’s father Sean said. “She was saying she didn’t want to play anymore. We told her she has to fight through it. Life is like that and not everyone is going to love you and you’re going to have to deal with people like that in life. I think she understood that and it opened her eyes a bit.”
Even though Newell had limited playing time, her achievement was groundbreaking for the Mustangs. It was the first time a special education student had joined one of Gilroy’s athletic teams.
“We want to include as many athletes as we can in all of our activities,” Berggren said. “(I give) huge credit to Ms. Mona (Ramona Trevino) in the Special Ed. Department for encouraging it to happen. They’ve done a lot of inclusion in the PE classes, so I think that helps.”
Trevino said athletics help reinforce the idea of inclusion. She said it also helped Newell gain a sense of independence and responsibility having to attend practice after school each day during the season. At the end of the day, that’s all Newell really wanted.
“It’s just about being a part of something,” Trevino said. “She did it all by herself and I was really proud of her. She wasn’t afraid. The kids aren’t really afraid in that sense, they’re going to go and they’re going to do their best — and she did.”
Berggren and Trevino also credit the Gifted Games, which were held in Gilroy last year, for an increased interest in sports from special education students. They are both hoping interest translates into participation in the future.
“I’m hoping this article and Felicia’s experience and her positive outlook on it after everything will encourage others,” Berggren said. “Maybe those who have been a little timid in the past will want to participate in the future.”
Newell, who will be a senior in the fall, said one season of softball was enough for her and she’ll “take a break” from it next year. She still may find herself on a team, however, as she has expressed interest in cheerleading.
Whether she even picks up a softball again or not, Newell said she’s walking away with a good experience.
“(It was nice) to support the school,” she said. “I just had fun.”
