Bagi Ibu Evie, orang tua dari Al Atthafariz Haikal Mudzakir atau yang akrab disapa Fariz, setiap anak memiliki potensi yang layak untuk digali. Fariz adalah anak dengan Down Syndrome berusia 7 tahun. Secara motorik, Fariz sudah mampu berjalan dan berlari dengan baik. Dalam hal komunikasi, Fariz sudah bisa melakukan komunikasi dua arah, meskipun kosakata yang dimiliki masih terbatas. Ia baru mampu menyambungkan dua kata sederhana seperti “awas”, “permisi”, dan “aw sakit”, namun sudah bisa merespons lawan bicaranya.
Saat ini Fariz bersekolah di Sekolah Alam Permadani dan menjalani terapi rutin dua kali dalam seminggu. Jadwal hariannya cukup padat, mulai dari terapi, sekolah alam hingga latihan bersama SOIna Kabupaten Bogor setiap hari Sabtu.
Ibu Evie pertama kali mengenal program Young Athletes dari teman-teman di sekolah alam. Banyak anak yang berdomisili di sekitar Depok mengikuti Young Athletes di sana, namun jarak yang jauh dan jadwal latihan yang terlalu pagi membuat Fariz belum bisa bergabung. Ketika SOIna mulai aktif di Bogor, Ia melihat adanya peluang baru, meskipun saat itu program untuk anak-anak usia dini masih belum tersedia hingga pada akhirnya PP SOIna mengadakan pelatihan pelatih di SOIna Kabupaten Bogor dan Fariz merupakan salah satu atlet yang diundang untuk berpartisipasi.
Keputusan untuk rutin mengikutsertakan Fariz dalam program ini didasari oleh keinginan orang tua untuk menggali potensi anak. Ibu Evie menyadari bahwa anaknya memiliki tantangan di bidang akademik, sehingga penting untuk mengembangkan potensi lain seperti olahraga, seni, dan keterampilan. Young Athletes dipilih sebagai langkah awal karena Fariz masih terlalu kecil untuk masuk pelatihan cabang olahraga. Untuk anak dengan Down Syndrome, cabang seperti bocce baru bisa diikuti pada usia minimal delapan tahun. Melalui Young Athletes, Fariz dilatih untuk mengenal aturan, mengikuti instruksi, serta berbaur dengan teman-teman, sehingga kelak saat usianya cukup, ia sudah siap untuk ikut latihan di cabang olahraga yang Fariz minati.
Saat pertama kali mengikuti Young Athletes, Fariz menunjukkan respons yang positif. Ia tampak senang, meskipun sesekali muncul tantrum karena keterbatasan focus. Secara umum Fariz masih bisa mengikuti kegiatan, terutama di sesi awal latihan. Bagian yang paling ia sukai adalah senam. Bahkan di rumah, Fariz sering mengulang gerakan senam dan latihan melempar yang ia pelajari, menunjukkan ketertarikannya terhadap aktivitas tersebut.
Meski demikian, keterbatasan fokus masih menjadi tantangan. Di sesi awal latihan, Fariz mampu mengikuti instruksi dengan baik. Namun memasuki sesi tengah hingga akhir, perhatiannya mulai teralihkan. Ia tertarik pada lingkungan sekitar dan teman-temannya, lalu mulai rewel dan ingin pulang. Meski begitu, Evie tetap bersyukur karena Fariz mau mencoba dan terlibat dalam kegiatan.
Perubahan positif perlahan terlihat. Fariz kini sudah mengenali jadwal latihannya setiap minggu. Ia juga mulai lebih mandiri dan tidak selalu harus berada di dekat ibunya saat latihan. Bahkan, menurut Evie, Fariz justru lebih kooperatif ketika tidak terlalu dekat dengannya.
“Kalau saya dekat, dia malah banyak alasan,” kata Evie. “Tapi kalau sudah saya antar, saya pura-pura nggak melihat, dia malah mau sendiri.”
Selama latihan, Evie selalu mendampingi Fariz. Adiknya yang masih kecil pun sering ikut serta karena di rumah tidak ada yang menjaga. Kehadiran orang tua, menurut Evie, sangat berpengaruh terhadap kenyamanan anak saat latihan.
“Tips supaya anak nyaman ikut latihan itu sebenarnya dari orang tuanya dulu,” ujarnya. “Kalau orang tuanya semangat, nyaman, dan optimis, itu akan menular ke anak.”
Selain sebagai tempat latihan, SOIna dan program Young Athletes juga menjadi ruang berbagi bagi para orang tua anak dengan intellectual disability. Mereka saling bertukar cerita, pengalaman, dan informasi seputar pengasuhan. Bagi Evie, interaksi dengan orang tua lain menjadi sarana pelepas stres dan sumber kekuatan.
“Iya, kami sering saling tukar pengalaman antar orang tua, terutama yang anaknya sudah bisa dilepas sendiri bersama coach. Saya juga jadi punya teman baru dan jadi punya banyak informasi baru dari orang tua lainnya. Saya percaya, selama kita mau ngobrol dan berinteraksi, akan selalu ada hal baru yang bisa dipelajari. Alhamdulillah, para orang tua di SOIna sangat mudah berbaur. Interaksi ini juga menjadi cara saya melepas stres”
Harapan Evie melalui program Young Athletes sederhana namun bermakna. Ia berharap YA dapat menjadi wadah pembinaan awal bagi anak-anak ID, agar potensi mereka bisa dikenali sejak dini dan diarahkan ke cabang olahraga yang sesuai.
“Kalau sudah dilatih dari kecil, walaupun sedikit, anak sudah punya dasar. Jadi ketika masuk cabang olahraga, anak tidak memulai dari nol,” tutup Evie.
For Evie, the parent of Al Atthafariz Haikal Mudzakir, affectionately known as Fariz, every child has potential that deserves to be discovered and nurtured. Fariz is a 7-year-old boy with Down syndrome. From a motor skills perspective, he is able to walk and run well. In terms of communication, Fariz can already engage in two-way communication, although his vocabulary remains limited. He is currently able to combine two simple words such as “watch out,” “excuse me,” and “ouch, it hurts,” and is able to respond appropriately to others.
Fariz is currently enrolled at Sekolah Alam Permadani and attends regular therapy sessions twice a week. His daily schedule is quite full, consisting of therapy, school activities, and weekly training with Special Olympics Indonesia (SOIna) Bogor District every Saturday.
Evie first knew about the Young Athletes program through friends at sekolah alam. Many children living around Depok participated in Young Athletes. However, the distance and early training schedule made it difficult for Fariz to join. When SO Indonesia became active in Bogor, Evie saw a new opportunity, although at that time programs for younger children were not yet available. This changed when SO Indonesia conducted a Young Athletes train the Trainer in SOIna Bogor, where Fariz was invited to participate as one of the athletes.
The decision to involve Fariz regularly in the program was driven by the family’s desire to explore and develop his potential. Evie recognizes that her son faces challenges in academic areas, making it important to nurture other strengths such as sports, arts, and life skills. Young Athletes was chosen as an initial step, as Fariz is still too young to enter sport-specific training. For children with Down syndrome, sports such as bocce can typically only be introduced from the age of eight. Through Young Athletes, Fariz is trained to understand rules, follow instructions, and socialize with peers, helping prepare him to participate in sports training when he reaches the appropriate age.
During his first Young Athletes sessions, Fariz showed a positive response. He appeared happy, although occasional tantrums occurred due to limited focus. Overall, he was able to follow most activities, particularly during the early parts of each session. His favorite activity is gymnastics. At home, Fariz often repeats the movements and throwing exercises he learned during training, demonstrating strong interest and enthusiasm.
Nevertheless, limited attention span remains a challenge. During the early part of the training sessions, Fariz is able to follow instructions well. However, as the session moves toward the middle and end, his focus begins to drift. He becomes more interested in his surroundings and his friends, starts to get fussy, and asks to go home. Even so, Evie remains grateful that Fariz is willing to try and take part in the activities.
Positive changes are gradually becoming visible. Fariz now recognizes his weekly training schedule and has started to become more independent, no longer needing to stay close to his mother during practice. In fact, according to Evie, Fariz tends to be more cooperative when he is not too close to her.
“When I stay close, he comes up with many excuses,” Evie said. “But once I take him there and pretend not to watch, he’s actually willing to do things on his own.”
During the training sessions, Evie always accompanies Fariz. His younger sister often joins as well, since there is no one to watch them at home. According to Evie, the presence of a parent has a significant impact on a child’s comfort during practice.
The key to making a child comfortable during practice actually starts with the parents,” she said. “If the parents are enthusiastic, relaxed, and optimistic, that attitude will naturally rub off on the child.”
Beyond being a place for training, SOIna and the Young Athletes program also serve as a space for parents of children with intellectual disabilities to connect. They share stories, experiences, and tips on parenting. For Evie, interacting with other parents has become a way to relieve stress and a source of strength.
“Yes, we often exchange experiences with other parents, especially those whose children can already be guided independently by the coach. I’ve also made new friends and gained a lot of new information from other parents. I believe that as long as we are willing to talk and interact, there is always something new to learn. the parents are very easy to get along with. This interaction has also become a way for me to relieve stress.”
Evie’s hopes for the Young Athletes program are simple yet meaningful. She hopes Young Athletes can serve as an early development platform for children with intellectual disabilities, so their potential can be recognized from an early age and guided toward the right sports.
“If they are trained from a young age, even just a little, the child already has a foundation. So when they enter a sports branch, they won’t be starting from scratch,” Evie concluded.