Back in February, Joel Fernandez, a visually impaired senior, made his first free throw at a Unified Sports game held at the Raider gym. The made free throw was captured on video which featured the uproar from the crowd.
“I liked it,” said Joel regarding the crowd’s reaction.
The video of the moment, which can be found here on the Isle File’s Instagram account (@cihs.islefile), hasn’t been the only viral content on campus this year.
In March, the Library Science students and Mrs. Tahsuda put out a video on their Instagram account (@cihslibrary) promoting students using the library at lunch that currently has eclipsed 159,000 views. Additionally, Channel Islands Cheer had a TikTok video surpass one million views this year which showcased the squad’s routine for Coach Winbush’s baby gender reveal.
What separates Joel’s moment from the others mentioned: close to four years of practice.
Joel’s free throw achievement during the game was a process that took a lot of repetition and timing memorization. Rajai Moody, senior Varsity Boys basketball captain, assisted Joel and the crowd was asked to silence to allow Joel to initiate his free throw process. He learned to shoot the free throw by first learning how to listen to the tapping on the backboard of the basket with help from his previous Orientation and Mobility specialist, Debbie Lackey.
“She (Lackey) showed us the appropriate way to have him listen to the tapping on the backboard and learn to aim the ball towards the basket,” said Thalia Sandoval, Extensive Support needs teacher.
The video posted on the Isle’s File Instagram account currently has over 37,000 views. The video was also reposted by local social media account OxnardUSA (@OxnardUSA) and viewed at a much higher scale.
The response and comments made online were positive regarding Joel’s moment, as one social media user commented, “faith over talent” on the post.
Joel said that the exposure from the video made him feel “nervous, but excited and brave.”
Sandoval mentioned that Joel’s confidence had benefited tremendously from his participation in the Unified sports game. “Before, he was a little more timid to try and shoot free throws but as the years progressed, he gained more confidence and was successful,” said Sandoval.
Paraprofessional Sophia Lemus echoed Sandoval’s point and also cited the desire to have more general education student interactions with the students in the Extensive Support needs classes.
“The general education students shouldn’t be scared to interact with Extensive Support Needs students,” said Lemus. “When they do, it really helps them feel more confident and boosts their self-confidence.”
Unfortunately, the Raiders in association with Unified Sports have no more games left due to issues with transportation. CI was scheduled to play Del Sol, and tried to reschedule however the game was never rescheduled. “It just never happened,” said Sandoval.
The moment Joel experienced was one of many achievements made by the Raider athletes who got to play in the Unified Sports games. Sandoval believes that the games are a great reminder for the students in the Extensive Needs classes that they are more than capable to achieve what they set out to do.
“I think the lesson is don’t limit yourself because there’s a lot of opportunities out there,” said Sandoval. “You’re more than capable of doing anything that you put your mind to.”
