PITTSBURGH (April 30, 2017) – Former Riverhounds goalkeeper and current goalkeeping coach Hunter Gilstrap is accustomed to stopping shots and clearing scoring chances away from the goalmouth.
Despite this intuition, one of Gilstrap’s favorite events during the year involves seeing the ball roll behind him into the back of the net. At the fifth annual Watson Institute Special Kick Clinic on April 30 at Highmark Stadium, the goalkeeper watched as children scored goals and ran through soccer drills with Hounds professional team players.
The Special Kick Clinic is designed to provide special needs children with a chance to participate in soccer activity stations, which are carefully adapted to accommodate the needs of each individual, and an opportunity to be a part of a team.
“Any opportunity we have to be part of this community and help these kids have some fun and feel like they’re part of a team is awesome and humbling,” Gilstrap said. “There aren’t really any words to express how this makes us feel.”
During the clinic, children scored goals on Hounds Trey Mitchell, Taylor Washington, Ryan Adeleye and Jack Thompson. At other stations, children dribbled through obstacles alongside players like Kevin Kerr and Stephen Okai, as well as Riverhounds Development Academy coaches and players.
“We really love and enjoy helping out,” said Okai, who participated in his third Special Kick Clinic. “Not all of us have the privilege to be that healthy. For us to devote our time, it makes us and them feel really good.”
The Watson Institute is a nonprofit organization that has provided services to children with special needs since 1917. Watson provides educational, evaluation and diagnostic services to nearly 80 school districts in western Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and West Virginia.
“We’re happy to be here today and provide a day of soccer for everybody,” said Barry Bohn, President and CEO of the Watson Institute. “We consistently look to do more and more of those things in the Pittsburgh community.”
PJ Dick sponsored the different drills and soccer activities of Sunday’s Special Kick Clinic, which provided children a chance to participate in fun activities while bringing awareness to a greater cause. This is the second year PJ Dick has sponsored the event.
“The No. 1 thing that we as PJ Dick like to associate ourselves with is good organizations for good causes,” said Brett Pitcairn, President of PJ Dick Special Projects Group. “It’s easy to support something that really goes a long way to help inspire the special needs kids that are part of the Watson Institute as well as our families.”
For more information on the Watson Institute and its mission, visit www.thewatsoninstitute.org.
