Nancy Haggerty
Rockland/Westchester Journal News USA TODAY NETWORK
Melissa Ponzio remembers the first time she took her son, Nicholas, to an Able event two years ago.
Call it belonging and something more. Maybe relief. Maybe hope.
Nicholas, who will turn 6 later this fall, was born with autism. He also has non-stop energy. The combination made it very difficult for him to participate in mainstream sports.
The Ponzios had tried gymnastics and soccer. A physical therapist suggested Able, then called Able Lacrosse, and now Able Athletics, which translates to Able almost anything.
Ponzio, a Fox Lane physical education teacher and assistant varsity field hockey coach, is a fan and true believer. She’s a volunteer who can’t say enough good things about the Westchester-based program that, thanks to its success and a lack of similar programs in the region, has attracted families from as far away as Saugerties.