A Moment in the Spotlight
BY NICOLE TAFE
Ben Rings ’ Wrestle With Your Buddy program brings sports opportunities to students with special needs .
Friendships , memories and best buddies were made once again this year at Pine-Richland High School . The “ Wrestle With Your Buddy ” program experienced another successful year of bringing together wrestlers and students with special needs for a fun-filled event that promotes learning , acceptance and understanding for all .
Six years ago , Pine-Richland High School wrestling coach Ben Rings developed Wrestle With Your Buddy . Rings , 35 , has a wife , Tanya , and two sons , Max and Joel , and is a Life Skills teacher for PRHS who works with most of the students who participate in the after-school program .
Rings attended Kent State University where he was active in wrestling and studied Special Education . In 2003 , he was deployed to Iraq as a firefighter for the National Guard and had to postpone his education . Upon his return in 2004 , Rings changed his major to Justice Studies . After graduation , he decided he still wanted to become a special education teacher and earned a master ’ s degree at the University of Pittsburgh .
Rings became the PRHS wrestling coach as soon as he was hired as a faculty member eight years ago . “ I started wrestling when I was five years old , had a brother who wrestled and a stepfather who was a referee , so I have been around the sport my entire life ,” he says .
Rings was inspired to create the Wrestle With Your Buddy program when a student with special needs decided to join the wrestling program . “ I really saw the benefits of having him on the team for both my wrestlers and the student with special needs ,” he explains . “ I decided it would be a great opportunity to open up a program that would be available to any student with special needs who was interested in wrestling and lived in the district .”
The program is modeled after Best Buddies , an organization that helps facilitate relationships between students without special needs and students with special needs . Rings based his program on the same principles of creating relationships between the athletes and students with special needs .
As part of the Wrestle With Your Buddy program , students with special needs practice with the PRHS wrestling team once a week to learn some wrestling moves and build relationships . At the team ’ s last home match , the buddies have a one-minute exhibition with their
practice partner in front of the home crowd , and get the opportunity to feel like they are in the spotlight in an athletic setting .
“ Since I ’ ve started the program , we ’ ve consistently had five to seven students with special needs participate ,” says Rings . The buddies are also invited to attend the PRHS wrestling team ’ s end-of-the-year banquet , and are especially recognized for their participation , receiving gifts and a varsity letter during their final year with the program .
Juniors John Folmer ( back ) and Ben Salas ( front ) with Buddies Jacob Smelser ( left ) and Isaac Smelser , both seniors .
PHOTO BY RACHEL HATHHORN
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