Challenger teams offer fun alt. for disabled kids BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer KATHY CHANG The Central Jersey Pop Warner Challenger Cheer Team heads out onto the field during one of the Pop Warner Iselin Giants football game at Merrill Park in Iselin. WOODBRIDGE - Nine-year-old Alexandria "Alex" Wright raised her arms and used all of her 4-foot-2-inch frame to yell "Ready, Go" to kick off the Challenger cheer at one of the Pop Warner football games recently. Wright, who is diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder and central auditory processing disorder, is one of 17 children on the Central Jersey Pop Warner Challenger Cheer team. The team ranges from children in kindergarten to high school students. "If you look at my daughter, it's hard to tell that she has a disability," said Alex's mother Amy Wright, who was told about the Challenger cheer team from one of the teachers at Alex's school. Amy said she saw major changes in her daughter after joining the team two years ago. "She had some anxiety with being in a crowd-like setting and would have panic attacks," said Amy. "But now she loves it and has fun with her friends." Sue Buettell coordinates the Central Jersey Pop Warner Challenger Cheer and Football teams. "I have seen the biggest improvements in the autistic children," said Buettell, who coordinated the cheer team three years ago. "These kids have mental and physical disabilities whether it's Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or autism," she said. "One of our girls is in a wheelchair. It's great to have something for them in a noncompetitive atmosphere." Each child is paired with a person, whether it's with a sibling, a parent, or a Pop Warner cheerleader. "We travel wherever we are invited," said Buettell. "We have been all over Woodbridge and Central Jersey. Today, we were invited by the Iselin Giants for one of their regular Pop Warner football games, and last night we were invited to come to the Port Reading Saints pep rally." The Challenger football team was formed this year. "We have seven boys on the team," said Buettell. "The coaches are brothers and fathers. Unfortunately this year, the games set up had to be canceled because of the weather, but they had fun. Next year, we hope to have games set up for them." The Challenger cheer and football teams strutted their stuff during halftime of the game. Melissa Kobylinski, who has Down syndrome, was right on cue with her two cartwheels during the routine. "We usually just stay until halftime," said Amy. "It's a long day for them and everyone understands if they have to leave early." Amy said the cheer team makes her daughter feel like she belongs to something. "This is something fun for her," she said. "They win a medal or trophy. This is better for them rather than sitting around all day." The National Pop Warner introduced the inaugural Challenger cheer team from Central Jersey Pop Warner during the National Pop Warner Cheer Competition at the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., in 2005. "And we were invited again this year," said Buettell. "We are heading there in December. It's great. The other big arena we have performed at is the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, which was on Nov. 11 this year." The Challenger teams also got to participate in Pop Warner Day at Rutgers University, where they got to meet the Rutgers football team, who are ranked No. 6 in the nation this year. Anyone interested in becoming part of either the Central Jersey Challenger cheer or football team can contact Sue Buettell at (732) 742-8285 or via e-mail at suecentral81@comcast.net.