Regardless, I'm a junior in college and recently turned 21! I have two majors. One, is as you could probably derive from the title, a media production major in the communications department. My other equally loved major is Marketing.
OK, enough of a biography, if you want to know more about me, check out my Facebook profile!
So, for my spring semester, I am taking essentially an all-communication class schedule-3 to be exact. Two of those classes are video based with Dr. Burns and require me to do a minute and a half piece on a story that is news.
This brings me to my first story which is...
UNIFIED SPORTS
I can already imagine the look of confusion on reader's faces when they read 'Unified Sports'. Simply put, it's a branch of Special Olympics.
The video above is a promo for the 2014 games taking place in New Jersey (my home state!). Now, I don't know about everyone else but that video gave me chills. But the chills I got from doing the Unified Sports story was on a whole other level...
Unified Sports was brought about by the Special Olympics in the 1988 Special Olympics convention in Reno, Nevada. Unified Sports changed the dynamic of Special Olympics by essentially saying let's these special needs people compete with the general population and put them on an equal footing pedestal. It was crazy. It worked. Today, Special Olympics has ESPN and Walt Disney Corporation partnering with them on there Unified Sports Program.
But back to my story! I had scheduled to meet with Chris Emge, the coach of unified sports at the local school. I talked to Chris and I immediately noticed the passion he had not only for the sports but also the kids. It was the first sign to me that there was something big happening here.
I set up the camera on the far side of the gym where they were practicing and began filming basic b-roll. One of the kids, there were only four total there that day, began using the elliptical. I turned around and started filming various machines, when I heard it. Laughter. And it kept going, it didn't stop. I turned around and the kid just kept laughing and smiling, and there was something so innocent about it all. It was pure unfiltered happiness, because let's be honest when you hear laughter while people work out I'm usually thinking they're having a breakdown. But no, he was having so much fun just running, just practicing. I'm almost sure that if he became a trainer, America would've fixed it's obesity problems a lot sooner too.
As the practice continued, I realized the laughter wasn't a blip on the radar. All the people on the team had essentially the time of their life working out. The funny thing is I didn't find any of the exercises particularly fun, and I love the gym.
However, the biggest takeaway, for me at least, was the interaction between the unified sports athletes and the football players. They were laughing, hanging out, dancing, and being friends. And it wasn't just one or two of them, it was everyone there, like they were all long lost brothers. I found that shocking because I've been out of high-school three years and I just don't recall an atmosphere like that... between anyone!
After completing my interview, I was surprised at how early the practice had ended, it felt like a half hour, 45 minutes top. I glanced at the clock, two and a half hours had passed, and that's when I knew how special of a story this was.
Although my end video wasn't perfect, out of focus interview, lighting issues, non-white balance b-roll, I don't think I'll ever forget this story, even 20 years down the road.
Until Next Time,
-Jerrad Pawar
