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"Welcome to Herdmont Park Stadium"
COACH BELL there's something in the nature of the game that you don't get playing anything
else ... it's going to grab hold of you. it's just so much raw emotion raw passion and it's
so much of what we're missing in society
Humble, Joyful, Quiet--words not often associated with football.
(Sound of blowhorn)
But Kai Christenberry isn't your typical athlete.
"Good Kai Ya that a kid!"
Only Kai can lift up his teammates (sounds of football practice) "lets go" without saying
a word.
KAI: eagle pride... I'm deaf!
(sound of whistle)
The fact that Kai even chose to play (SOUND: hut, hut!!)
despite the added difficulty of communicating with his teammates is one miracle.
"Way to go Kai!"
KAI:I look at the safety or the interpreter on the sideline
(Team yelling: you ready? Lets go!)
But even more amazing is that Kai is here.
KIM CHRISTENBERRY: we got a phone call about Kai saying he was this amazing 13 year old
boy who was going to have no where to live very soon and would we consider bringing him
home.
153 million orphans estimated worldwide. Just 3-years ago Kai was living that statistic.
KAI: in china, families reject their deaf kids if they have a deaf child they don't
want them. they take them to the orphanage they just get rid of them.
Less than a year away from his 14th birthday...time was running out.
KIM CHRISTENBERRY they generally age out of the system and so that means that they no
longer have a place to live
BILL CHRISTENBERRY: he would just basically be out on the streets at 14/15 years of age
to fend for himself, to beg. If he was lucky get some sort of factory job.
That's when the Christenberry family opened their home.
KAI: and then the football team is also like a family like brothers and sisters
COACH BELL: when we just take a look at the guy sitting beside us and thinking MAN. this
guy was in an orphanage in china and he's fixing to get kicked out it's that argument
with my parents doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore or getting a C on that test or
Suzzy breaking up with me it's not a I mean it really tends to minimize our troubles.
From never having seen the game of football
Teammate: "There you go Kai!"
KIM CHRISTENBERRY: "it's part of the whole new world thing its like disney world every
day"
to changing his teammates' perspective
COACH BELL: to somebody who our kids see on a daily basis and they say good gracious look
at everything this kid has had to come through to get to this point then look at the hurdles
he still has to jump just to compete with us and he doesn't let it phase him
After only a few months of playing
Coach Bell: ya that was pretty amazing
Coach Bell: "That a boy Kai!"
when Kai accomplished more than his team could have ever imagined
CoachBell: Sorry, one of the neatest things that happened was during our we've got a preseason
intersquad scrimmage that we do over at the stadium and he recovered a fumble
KAI: when I saw the ball I went after it and I got it and I was really happy!
COACH BELL: when he got up he was so excited he screamed and made sound and that was a
cool deal
He spoke.
Kai: 18'57 very proud
Coach: to make something happen to the point to where he does something that's impossible.
Well that makes our challenges look pretty mineoote
Now Kai's teaching his teammates, what many of them have forgotten
COACH BELL: we tell our kids just enjoy what your doing don't hold anything back just go
do it and he does it.
One smile at a time.
COACH BELL: he doesn't take anything for granted. it's something that I will always treasure...
I will treasure the time I get to coach him because it is its not everybody gets this
opportunity.
Britton: Now your wearing number 32 but your favorite number is 1 why?
Kai: Because one deaf. One deaf person on the team.
Team yelling: "like eagles you got me? Yes sir."
Britton Lynn FOX6 News.
Team yelling: "ready? lets go!"