Adults with disabilities play football with LIU team

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (PIX11) — More than two dozen adults with disabilities from all over Long Island got a chance to play football with some student-athletes on Friday.

They played alongside the Long Island University Sharks football team. It was all for the Beautiful Lives Project event that brought a group of people with disabilities to play alongside the team at the LIU Post campus in Brookville.  

The Beautiful Lives Project said the event is a day the participants and players were looking forward to. 

Tony Gionfriddo is the executive director of the Beautiful Lives Project.

“The greatest gift we can give is just to include them, and today they were a part of the LIU football team, and you couldn’t ask for anything better than that,” Gionfriddo said.

“Feels so good to score a touchdown because it jumps me up energy to score a touchdown,” participant Steven Cono said. “They are there to support you.”

Kyle Thompson, 27, had the time of his life. 

“I come here because I didn’t get to play sports because of my disabilities,” Thompson said. “I had seizures. But now I have them under control, I can do it more. It’s fun because it’s exciting.”

The Beautiful Lives Project has been around for seven years and is based on Long Island but does events for people with disabilities from across the country of all ages. 

This is the third year the LIU football team has partnered with the Beautiful Lives Project.

“We have a blessed group of young men that can go run, jump and play and go to school and have fun, so it’s a good time for our players to give back,” LIU coach Ron Cooper said.

The players say it’s inspiring to see the joy the game brings. 

“It means everything just being able to put a smile on their faces. It’s beautiful,” LIU football player Brandon Smith said.

“We get to do this every day and sometimes it feels like a job and is taxing but we put a lot of energy into it and to see these kids come out here and say thank you so much, I got to score a touchdown, it’s an awesome feeling,” LIU football player Luca Stanzani said.