Summertime means summer camps for a lot of kids.

My older kids were really into sports. Summers typically involved at least some sort of sports camp; usually soccer. Now, we only have two younger girls in the house, ages 6 and 11. The eleven-year-old thinks she might try volleyball or basketball, but we'll see about that... she's quite timid. The youngest has a lot of special needs.

Long story short, my little one had a stroke before she was born.

She's had more surgeries and hospital visits than most adults. Before she was born, they warned us she might not ever walk or talk or be able to function much. Thank God, those predictions were wrong, and she can do all of the above, quite well. She's smart and sweet and adorable, but it's been a long journey, filled with struggles. I don't share this for sympathy. Every parent of a kid with physical or mental challenges knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Michael Foth, TSM
Michael Foth, TSM
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It breaks my heart when she says, "I just want to be normal."

We tried a "normal" kid's summer soccer program... once. It wasn't necessarily bad, but there was no way she could keep up with the other kids. The awkward, uncomfortable braces she has to wear (seen above) have come a long way since the famous scene in Forrest Gump, but they still suck. She has to wear oversized shoes to fit over the braces and it's like trying to run with clown feet. She'll never be a fast runner, and that's ok.

An All-Abilities Camp is June 23rd and 24th at Lockwood School.

My child goes to physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy every week at Advanced Therapy Clinic. You've probably never heard of them unless you have a special-needs child, but the number of kids they help would blow your mind. I'm sure they serve hundreds of kids from Billings and the surrounding area, helping them gain better quality-of-life functionality. They're pretty awesome. They shared the post above about the all-abilities camp.

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Youth athletics can be brutally competitive.

We've all seen hyper-focused sports parents that do anything and everything to give their kids a competitive edge. Personally, I feel like it's too much, but I try not to judge anyone's parenting style. Unless they're harming their child, it's really none of my business. I just want my unique kid to be able to have fun trying out various athletic endeavors with other kids that may be facing similar challenges.

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The camp is sponsored by the Billings Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The chapter serves Yellowstone, Big Horn, Carbon, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Stillwater, and Carbon counties. The all-abilities sports camp covers baseball/softball, soccer, football, and fitness. If you can pay the $35 fee, great. If not, they'll waive the fee with a discount code on the Registration Page when you sign up. Find out more HERE. 

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