Changing the Game
Jessica has witnessed first-hand, how favoritism effects
certain sports within the athletic community at her high school. She
discovered that the Lisbon High sports budget mainly supports the
football team while leaving other teams to play with expired equipment
and uniforms from decades before, or to play with no materials at all;
especially teams like the Special Olympics bocce team. Upon further
investigation, Jessica determined that lack of funding is caused by
subjectivity - the favoring of sports that produce more popularity,
and money to the school system, rather than those that support the
students.
Lack of funding is an issue at many schools
across the world. Jessica felt that in her community, the Special
Olympics is regarded as "less than important" in relation to
the football team and she didn't want this to be the case at her
school. Jessica stated she "wanted to help people and make
something better in our small community that schools across America
struggle with."
Jessica addressed the issue of
sports bias within her high school by building a Bocce Court. The
court engages students on the Special Olympics team, and the school
community as a whole, in a social activity that teaches skills such as
teamwork and communication. Before the court was built, the Special
Olympics team practiced bocce on a spray-painted portion of the soccer
field. Because of the density of the grass, it was a poor surface to
practice on. The court that Jessica constructed is made of stone dust,
which is what bocce games are played on during competitions. This
element of Jessica’s court allows the Special Olympics team to get a
"feel" of what to expect, before entering a game. It allows
them to practice appropriately and allows the ball to move as it
should in a regulation court, which will increase their skills and
improve how they play.
Jessica’s project is being
sustained by the high school’s maintenance team who will take care of
the upkeep of the court. Additionally, during her project planning
phase, Jessica researched and made sure that the materials used were
of high quality, to last through many sports seasons, including
pressure-treated lumber and an earth-friendly tarp to prevent weed
growth and drainage issues.
When asked about leadership
and her project, Jessica said “This project really opened my eyes to
the meaning of "Leadership." Taking control over a part of
my life and conducting a project is something that has changed my view
of myself, and proven to me that with courage and strength, I can
become the woman that I dreamed of being as a Brownie.”
“This selective budgeting [issue] may never be resolved across the
world, but for those who share this small community with me, I believe
I made the world a better place for them.”
Gold Award Girl Scout, Jessica Schlotterbeck
11 Mar 2020
