Kansas schools to reward special needs athletes with varsity letters
By Wichita Eagle, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.21.15
Michael Kelley stands in the dining room of the family's house in Bel Aire, Kansas, with some of the varsity letters and memorabilia from all over the country showing support for special-needs kids that participate in sports. Photo: Fernando Salazar/Wichita Eagle/TNS
WICHITA, Kan. — Athletes with special needs just scored a big win in Wichita, Kansas: varsity letters.
For more than a century, these colorful, letter-shaped patches have been awarded to members of the most competitive sports teams in high schools across the country; athletes usually show them off by having them sewn onto "letter jackets" and "letter sweaters."
Thanks to a recent school board vote, Wichita athletes with special needs can now earn varsity letters for reaching challenging athletic goals of their own.
One Athlete Made A Difference
The campaign to award varsity letters to athletes with special needs started with Michael
Kelley, a student at Wichita East High School.
Michael attracted national attention when his mother, Jolinda Kelley, said school employees told her son not to wear his letter jacket. She had purchased a varsity letter for it. Officials from Michael's school district insist that no one asked him to remove his jacket.
So the school board put together a varsity-letter policy. It is just one part of a sixpage set of guidelines put together by the Tri-County Athletic League, a sports league for students with special needs throughout 11 Wichita-area high schools. The Wichita school board recently voted in favor of using the league's guidelines in the city's high school athletics departments.
According to league coordinator Bryan Wilson, students on Tri-County teams will have the opportunity to earn varsity letters as early as this school year.

Rewarding Teamwork And Effort
To be considered for a letter, athletes with special needs must play a sport for at least two seasons and attend a minimum of 70 percent of practices and games. They must also demonstrate good sportsmanship, give consistent effort, keep their grades up and exhibit respect.
At the Wichita school board meeting, Michael Kelley sat in the audience alongside his family members. They wore black T-shirts that read “#givethemletters,” a social media hashtag that has been associated with their campaign.
Jolinda Kelley pointed out that even though the phrase "give them letters" had become popular, she was not asking Michael's school to simply "give" him a varsity letter. She believes that Michael and other athletes with special needs deserve varsity letters because they demonstrate persistence, exhibit teamwork and overcome adversity.
“I’m asking for you to give them the letters that they’ve earned,” Jolinda Kelley said.
Every single member of the school board agreed that Wichita schools should do just that.
They all voted to use the Tri-County Athletic League's guidelines for athletes with special needs.
"Dedication To All Students"
After hearing the results of the vote, Jolinda Kelley said that she was thankful that the school board had heard her message. She also said that she was disappointed that resolving the issue had to come down to a vote.
“The school should encourage their employees, from the top to the bottom, to answer parents’ inquiries in a timely and respectful and informed manner,” said Tonda McGrath,
Jolinda Kelley's partner. “Had this happened when we first started emailing and calling … we would not be here today.”
Marty Rothwell, an official with a local social services agency, also spoke out about the results of the vote. Rothwell thanked district officials for supporting the Tri-County league's efforts to give students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a way to practice, compete and represent their schools.
“We could not find another school district that does this,” he said. “So we are here today to thank you, because without this league, we wouldn’t have a letter issue. When we ask the parents, they all say the same thing: This is our kids’ chance to shine, and it’s all because of
Unified School District 259 and your dedication to all students.”