By Kate McMahon
When Paul Hooker, formerly of Middletown, was coaching a Lincroft Little League baseball team one day in 1990, he turned to a little girl in a wheelchair and asked her how she was doing. Frustrated with watching from the sidelines as her brother played, the little girl replied, “This stinks.”
That two-word answer from Nicole Bongiolatti sparked a program that has gone on to bring sports opportunities to thousands of people with special needs over the past 30 years.
Inspired by Nicole and driven by their newfound passion, Paul and his wife Margo launched their first grass-roots softball league in Middletown, called Challenged Youth Sports. Over the years, the small league grew from a single-sport season to a year-round organization with nearly a dozen sports, impacting hundreds of families in the region.
As the 25th anniversary of Challenged Youth Sports approached, a new mission became clear: Serve the special needs community on a national scale. In 2014 the organization reinvented itself as RallyCap Sports and set out to create regional chapters at universities across the nation.
RallyCap Sports launched its first chapter at Bowling Green State University, establishing the model for future chapters. Now at 16 locations across five states, RallyCap Sports is bringing recreational sports opportunities to hundreds of people with special needs and providing life-changing volunteer opportunities to thousands of volunteers.
“We never envisioned what this program would turn into. We simply thought that Nicole and her friends should have the chance to play sports, just like any other kid. Now, after three decades, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for all the amazing people who have helped make this program what it is today,” said Paul Hooker, founder and chairman.
“Celebrating our 30th anniversary this year, our hope was to gather together to reflect on our achievements and rally together into the next 30 years,” said Luke Sims, executive director. “Then, the impossible happened. 2020 has been a year of challenges for RallyCap Sports. Our sports, for the first time ever, have been entirely virtual this year. Our volunteers and participants have been amazingly flexible, but nothing can replace live, in-person sports,” he said.
On May 30 this year, the Hookers learned that Nicole Bongiolatti, the little girl who inspired it all, had passed away. Nicole’s obituary read “Born with Spina Bifida, Nicole never let that or any other obstacle stop her from living a sensational life. At 10 years old, a chance encounter and a frank opinion, a much-admired hallmark of Nicole, led her to be the inspiration for Challenged Youth Sports, an organization that allows children with special needs to play sports by pairing them with a PA. From then on, she was an active participant in multiple sports through the program. Now called RallyCap Sports, the organization is about to celebrate its 30 year anniversary.”
“To all of us at RallyCap, this was a devastating loss,” said Hooker. “The best way we can honor Nicole and ensure her legacy lives on, is to make sure RallyCap Sports can continue to impact lives for many years to come.”
In memory of Nicole and to push forward into the next 30 years, RallyCap Sports has launched a $30,000 anniversary challenge. Every dollar donated, from now until the end of the year, will be tripled by matching contributions from the Providing Hope Foundation and a small group of dedicated supporters.
RallyCap Sports aims to honor Nicole’s legacy for many years to come. “Life is short and comes with many challenges. But, if we stick together and always think of others first, we can make this life a little bit better for all those we encounter,” said Hooker. In Nicole’s own words, “do something today that you didn’t think you had the strength for.”
For more information or to make a gift in honor of Nicole, visit rallycapsports.org.
This article originally appeared in the Oct. 15, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
