2 Mesquite middle schoolers aren't letting their hearing impairment get in the way of football
MESQUITE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - There's something unique about football practice for the Vaston Middle School in Mesquite.
The vikings have two deaf students on the eighth grade football team.
Abner Sanchez is playing football for the first time.
"Because my friend wanted me to play football - and I said sure, I'll play," Sanchez said.
Meanwhile, Jay Stephens has a simple reason for wanting to play.
"It's fun and you get tackle a lot of people," Stephens said.
Both Sanchez and Stephens acknowledge that their hearing impairment makes playing the game challenging, but neither of them is letting that get in their way.
"What it means to this team - they are an inspiration - they embody some of our core values," said Vaston Middle School eighth grade head coach Kevin Perthuis. "Toughness, resiliency, they embody that."
Mesquite ISD encourages students from the hearing-impaired special education department to participate. The Vanston Middle School coaching staff embraces the opportunity to coach the kids in a very unique way.
"We have a great staff of interpreters, and they are here every practice, every game," Perthuis said. "So, there is a lot of waving, a lot of shouting and a lot of hand signals...and a lot of thumbs up....and a lot of hand signals we've come up with, just me and the players."
Being a role model isn't why Sanchez and Stephens play football. They simply enjoy the opportunity to play the game and to be a part of the team.
It's their teammates, the coaching staff and the school that benefit the most from their involvement.
"Day in and day out, they come out here and grind it out," Perthuis said. "These guys are super important to team and program - we also have deaf cheerleaders - we have deaf volleyball players... These guys are inspiration to the entire school."