By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer
Darius Way is just a normal teenager.
The 17-year-old Plant City resident does well in school and has a close group of friends.
And through the Brandon TOPSoccer program, Darius, diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, has enjoyed weekly soccer games for 11 years.
The program is available for boys and girls with varying special needs starting at age 5. It focuses on providing a fun and supportive environment for kids to learn and play soccer. There are no practices, just games on Saturdays, and there is no cost for uniforms, equipment or registration.
Darius began playing at just 6 years old, and his mother, Karen, said the experience has been rewarding.
“Everything the players do is a celebration,” she said. “If someone kicked the ball, it was a celebration, if someone scored, it was a celebration, and if they missed, it was still a celebration.”
Registration for TOPSoccer’s fall season is under way. Games will begin Sept. 8.
“I just like meeting people and making friends,” Darius said of the program.
DIAGNOSIS
When Darius was 2, Karen took him to several doctors for testing, because he wasn’t talking.
“They said he had a speech and language delay,” she said.
Later, after taking him to a neurologist, Darius was diagnosed with severe autism, a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive behavior.
As he grew, Darius began to defy the odds set by doctors as his mother worked with him.
“There were things that doctors said he would never, ever do — things like having (more than) a 20-word vocabulary,” she said.
With each doctor visit, Darius was progressing in ways that countered his original diagnosis, such as the ability to read, do math and play sports. He now takes regular high school classes at Center Academy in Riverview, a school that provides a college prep environment for students with different learning styles.
The most recent diagnosis for Darius was Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior or interests.
For Darius, that pattern is sports. It allows him to defy aspects set by his diagnosis.
JUST FOR KICKS
In 2001, Darius, then 6 years old, told his mom he wanted to play soccer.
“I didn’t know how it would work out with a regular league,” she said. “He was already taking an adaptive gymnastics program, and they told me about TOPSoccer, so I thought we would give it a try.”
At first, Darius was shy about it. He wouldn’t kick the ball when asked. When he was told to run, he would walk. But that changed in just one year.
“That second year was like a light bulb went off,” Karen said.
Darius liked the program and playing soccer so much that he continues to play today. His mom recently signed him up for his 12th season.
“Now he just like to score; he just wants to score all the time,” she said.
According to Ken Muzyk, one of the Brandon program’s four founding members, some players play well into their 20s.
“We still have some of the original players playing,” he said.
In addition to a handful of Plant City participants throughout the years, including Darius, several players from area high school teams volunteer their time to help, including assisting players in wheelchairs so they can take part in the action.
“I like to meet high school students that are volunteers, so I can make friends with them,” Darius said. “They tell me, ‘Good job,’ and like to cheer me on.”
Sept. 8 will mark the 14th season for Brandon TOPSoccer. The program was recognized in 2009 with the Excellence in Action award, presented by the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System of Hillsborough County Public Schools, and again in 2010 as the TOPSoccer Club of the Year by the Florida Youth Soccer Association.
“We are now one of the largest programs of our kind in the state,” Muzyk said. “Our goal is to all be supportive of one another, and we want the kids to have fun and just play soccer.”
For Karen, the program has been a great addition to her son’s life. She does have to special-order cleats for Darius, though, who wears size 16.
“The league can’t order them that big,” she said with a smile. “We had to order him football cleats.”
Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver.com.
Brandon TOPSoccer
REGISTRATION: Fridays from 6-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon until Sept. 8 at J.C. Handly Park, 3104 S. Kings Ave., Brandon. At registration, all players must bring a copy of their IEP and birth certificate and be accompanied by a parent/guardian with a valid ID.
INFORMATION: brandontops@aol.com or visit brandonsoccer.com