BleedGopher
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per NBC:
An Arkansas teen with autism who was once told he would never walk or talk has defied the odds — and is now joining Kent State University's basketball team.
Kalin Bennett, 18, of Little Rock, was recruited by the Ohio school earlier this month, and accepted Kent State's offer to play starting next season. It was a history-making move: According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Bennett may be the first student-athlete with autism to sign a national letter of intent to play a team sport at the Division I level.
At 6 feet, 10 inches, and with a stellar athletic record, Bennett has big dreams for Kent State — both on and off the court.
"I'm always trying to figure out what I want to do better," said Bennett, who did not walk until he was 4 years old and did not talk until he was 7. He said he hopes his size, rebounding skills and positive attitude will help his new team, and he also hopes his story will inspire others with autism — particularly "kids who feel like they can't do anything."
Bennett knows that feeling: Diagnosed with autism as a child, he was told during the evaluation that it was unlikely he would ever speak and walk, never mind play sports and have teammates who he considers to be his best friends.
"I used to be in the corner, like, I wouldn't say nothing, I used to not like people at all," he said. "I was always by myself, always alone."
His mother, Sonja Bennett, said she never doubted her son would succeed — even when evaluators set low expectations.
"When I got the diagnosis, I went to work, because I wasn't going to just sit there and let him just fade away," she said, adding that constantly reading books to Bennett and playing music for him helped him start talking.
"He's overcome being nonverbal. He's sociable now, he focuses on you, he talks to you, he'll hug you."
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...etball-kent-state-n941631?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
Go Gophers!!
An Arkansas teen with autism who was once told he would never walk or talk has defied the odds — and is now joining Kent State University's basketball team.
Kalin Bennett, 18, of Little Rock, was recruited by the Ohio school earlier this month, and accepted Kent State's offer to play starting next season. It was a history-making move: According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Bennett may be the first student-athlete with autism to sign a national letter of intent to play a team sport at the Division I level.
At 6 feet, 10 inches, and with a stellar athletic record, Bennett has big dreams for Kent State — both on and off the court.
"I'm always trying to figure out what I want to do better," said Bennett, who did not walk until he was 4 years old and did not talk until he was 7. He said he hopes his size, rebounding skills and positive attitude will help his new team, and he also hopes his story will inspire others with autism — particularly "kids who feel like they can't do anything."
Bennett knows that feeling: Diagnosed with autism as a child, he was told during the evaluation that it was unlikely he would ever speak and walk, never mind play sports and have teammates who he considers to be his best friends.
"I used to be in the corner, like, I wouldn't say nothing, I used to not like people at all," he said. "I was always by myself, always alone."
His mother, Sonja Bennett, said she never doubted her son would succeed — even when evaluators set low expectations.
"When I got the diagnosis, I went to work, because I wasn't going to just sit there and let him just fade away," she said, adding that constantly reading books to Bennett and playing music for him helped him start talking.
"He's overcome being nonverbal. He's sociable now, he focuses on you, he talks to you, he'll hug you."
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...etball-kent-state-n941631?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
Go Gophers!!