Name
Timotheus “T.J.” Gordon, Jr.
Pronouns/Gender
he/him/his/el
What type(s) of disability do you have or identify with?
Autistic and neurodivergent
High School in Illinois that you Attended
Hyde Park Career Academy (now Hyde Park High School)
City of Where You Went to High School
Chicago, IL
Sports that You Played in High School
Football, Basketball, and Track and Field (Shot Put)
Describe your experience playing high school sports.
I enjoyed playing sports in high school and would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I am allowed to be reincarnated as someone else! I apply lessons from sports to various situations in my adult life. On the field, I’ve learned to face adversity when I had trouble understanding a particular skill, played through injuries/fatigue, and dealt with bullying. I faced adversity by not giving up, asking for support, and figuring things out. I’ve taken the same approach to adulting, whether I had to figure out how to budget, support my son, or advocate for myself and others. I appreciated coaches who saw my talent and did not see me as an inspiration. They were willing to coach me well because they saw me as an essential team member.
What I missed most about playing high school sports is the fun times and the connections you make with your teammates. I feel like I am in a fraternity where a select few can be a part, and you and your brothers are forever linked.
How can coaches, high schools, school districts, and the IHSA include more student-athletes with disabilities to participate and excel in sports?
– More certification and continuing education opportunities where coaches and supporting staff can gain more confidence in coaching disabled student-athletes in an inclusive, adaptive, and competitive environment
– Encourage disabled alumni to share their sports experience with potential disabled student-athletes. The coaches can also learn from the former student-athletes; the latter can provide examples of how to get the most out of student-athletes with disabilities and support their needs and accommodations.
– Create opportunities to practice inclusive coaching in the offseason, such as holding inclusive sports camps or combines
Which changes would you like to see from the IHSA, when it comes to coaching student-athletes with disabilities and providing sports for student-athletes with disabilities?
From an administrative level, I would like to see two things happening:
– encourage more disabled coaches to get involved in coaching high school sports
– create more resources for coaches, referees, and administrators to learn about the disability community and sports, inclusion in high school sports, funding inclusive sports, and coaching disabled student-athletes. The resources can be in the form of disseminating plain language information, hiring disabled people to share their experiences with high school sports at talks or in media, offering courses on inclusive coaching, and supporting college programs that offer certificates in coaches (with specialization in disability).
What adaptive or unified sports would you like to see offered in the IHSA?
I would like to see more adaptive and unified sports versions or offer sports outside Unified Special Olympics Sports where more people with disabilities can participate. For instance, it would be lovely for IHSA to offer floor hockey, goalball, fantasy sports, trading card games, bocce, dodgeball, Uno, and other sports that can provide both adaptability and inclusion.
I would also like to see IHSA extend access to NIL deals and college scholarship opportunities to disabled student-athletes.