While watching the game, Wisconsin’s Lincoln Middle School students Miles Rodriguez, Chase Vasquez, and Scooter Terrien witnessed some opposing fans making fun of one of the cheerleaders, Desiree Andrews. The three adolescents were outraged by this and decided to stop the game and make sure that their friend Desiree, who goes by the initials “D” and has Down Syndrome, wasn’t singled out.
According to Chase, the incident began when “the kids in the audience were picking on D, so we all came forward,” a Milwaukee news site reported.
The rest of the team called a timeout and left the court as soon as they realized what their teammates had done.
“We were enraged. We didn’t agree with that at all. The 14-year-old Miles recalled, “We requested our sports director to talk to the people and tell them not to make fun of her.”
Desiree is a wonderful cheerleader who never hesitates to give the athletes fist bumps and high-fives to show her support.
This endearing young lady was motivated to follow her dream of being a cheerleader after seeing a cheerleader with Down syndrome on her preferred TV show, “Glee.”
D’s father, Cliff Andrews, explained how the program helped D feel more confident and motivated her to join the cheerleading squad. When he discovered what the players had done for his daughter and how they had shielded her, he was unable to control the tears that were falling down his cheeks. She contrasted this by calling the lads’ behavior “kind, nice, great, and amazing.”
The males have been escorting D to class ever since the incident to make sure she is secure.
According to the school, the lads’ amazing efforts have had such a profound effect that bullying is now all but nonexistent and inclusivity and friendliness are hot topics. This story inspired many teenagers around the nation to respect their friends and improve themselves as people.
Lincoln Middle School went above and beyond and accomplished something that merited praise. After Desiree, they gave the gym the moniker “D’s House,” which stands for friendship.
Athletic Director Timothy Nieman hoisted a banner with the new title on the wall and remarked, “This is what standing up is, being a true team, not just a basketball team but a team of people who are going to support somebody.”
Scooter later said, “We’re all the same, so it’s not fair when other people be treated differently. God made us all in the same way, thus we are all identical.” To be completely honest, we couldn’t agree more with you, and we’re happy that such young kids already grasp the importance of not allowing individuals to suffer because of who they are.
