Caroline L., Centerville High School
The Meaning of a Hand Holding
He approached me with his little hand reaching out, “Hold hand,” he said. Without hesitation, I grabbed his hand and together we took the free kick.
When I played soccer, my team volunteered at TOP Soccer, where children with Down Syndrome are given the opportunity to play soccer. However, they rely solely on volunteers who are passionate about helping children learn to play a sport they love.
During a session at TOP Soccer I was paired with a 5 year old boy who was very shy, but really wanted to play. I held his hand as we just kind of ran around the outside of the other kids. He would try to pull me into the cluster of players, but he would get pushed out.
However, toward the end of the game, each player has a turn to take a free kick. When it was his turn, I set him up at the corner of the field. Then, I backed up so I was standing in front of him and called, “Here, kick the ball to me!”
Instead he runs toward me with his hand held out “Hold hand,” he said. Slightly confused I take his hand and take him back over to take his kick. He kicks the ball right to one of his teammates, who passes it right back to him, which sets him up for a perfect goal. “You’ve got it!” I encourage, “Kick it right to the goal!”
Just like that, his kick turns into his first goal. When he realizes where the ball had just gone he drops my hand and hugs my legs. It was then that I understood what an accomplishment this was for him.
When my soccer team decided to volunteer, I was not sure whether or not I would participate. However, seeing the amount of excitement on his face was completely worth it. Now, 3 years later, this experience still reminds me how much the little things matter.
When I realized that he needed me to hold his hand while he kicked the ball, and then how proud he was when he scored a goal, I realized the immense impact a seemingly small act can have on someone.
Throughout the following weeks I thought about that interaction a lot. I realized that the act of holding hands could be as vital as air is to survival. And now, several years later, I still try to implement the idea of small acts of kindness into my everyday life. Through this experience I learned the importance of even a small hand holding.
