All together, it will be just five hours in this recreation center gym in New Market, Maryland. But already, halfway through, and it feels like a lifetime of small and important lessons.

Zach and Addie are in the same intro to soccer program, organized through Frederick Parks & Rec. It’s a super-simple series of drills, practices and games to give kids a glimpse of what soccer is all about. And yet for our little family, it’s about much more.

Zach has never been on a team or in a sports activity with typical peers. He’s either been still working out the kinks of coordination and listening and communication or we’ve been struggling with an over-zealous desire to get a little handsy and rough. But this year, it all came together, and Zach is with his sister, a handful of dear friends and an even larger group of new friends.

Monday mornings have been a lot more exciting lately at our house.
“It’s soccer today, momma?”
Yes, it is, buddy! Are you excited?
“Yes! It’s my soccer day. I play soccer with my friends!”

Zach has really impressed me — he’s listening in a circle with the other soccer players at the beginning, raising his hand and answering questions. He runs as fast as he can during warm-ups and kicks a ball back-and-forth with friends.

And Addie has shown us once again how beautifully she has grown into the role of Zach’s sister. It’s one of many hats she wears — alongside hard-working student and funny drama queen and compassionate friend. Her desire to help Zach, protech him and celebrate him is incredibly special. On the first day of soccer, she went over to Zach a couple of times to gently tell him how to do the skill they were working on. When he did something great, she ran across the court to give him a hug.

It seems like a simple thing — our son surrounded by his typical peers in a fairly common activity.

But this is yet another example of how inclusion can change so many lives. All of those other kids on the team? — they’re being exposed to the reality that Zach is just like them. And Zach? Well he’s got exciting Mondays with friends to look forward to — and that’s something pretty huge.