keeping dreams alive

He’s a young man who developed a love for baseball, a game he’s played since his youth. Now, he’s in high school and still plays the game.

 A common story for many kids. But not so common for kids who have Down syndrome like he does.

 He was given the opportunity to play and find acceptance from his teammates, through an organization created to provide opportunities like this for special needs children.

 Never Quit Dreaming (NQD), was founded in 2018 and was the state’s first noncompetitive sports program for children with disabilities. Kristopher Dung, its founder and executive director, says that sports are deeply ingrained in families’ lives and often used as a pathway to college and careers.

 “I recognized that there was a very limited amount of opportunities and events for special needs families across the islands,” Dung says. That realization “put us on track to produce things for them.”

 Adapting sports

NQD offers a variety of sports and recreational programs tailored for special needs participants, often in noncompetitive formats to build skills and confidence.

 Dung says children with disabilities face challenges in traditional sports programs, where they often end up on the bench or getting cut from teams. “Then the joy for that game is pretty much ended.” In NQD, he says, “We give families an opportunity in an environment that becomes more nonjudgmental.”

 Keiki can participate in baseball, basketball, soccer, judo, volleyball, and golf.

NQD's inclusive approach supports children with various diagnoses, including autism, Down syndrome, epilepsy, and Williams syndrome. “We're not diagnoses specific,” says Dung. “It welcomes everyone to our table. We’ve become more inviting because we're not autism-specific, or Down syndrome-specific.”

 Expansion

Dung developed the special-needs soccer program with the help of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). Then came baseball “After the soccer program started, we asked the families and they wanted baseball,” Dung says. “I always wanted to start a baseball program. It became the first baseball program for special needs individuals across the Islands.”

 Golf and recognition

Another big breakthrough came with the development of the golf program.

 “While we were in the middle of starting a baseball program, a golf opportunity came up,” Dung says. “We flew in a member of the Ernie Els for Autism Foundation to teach us about their golf program.” NQD became the official program providers for the Els for Autism program. This adaptive golf initiative was also a first in Hawaii.

The golf program helped lead to significant recognition for autism-friendly initiatives. In 2022, NQD became the state’s first Certified Autism Center through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. This certification was renewed in 2024.

 Building support

Michele Unten, an HMSA senior health coordinator, developed a passion for helping children with autism and other special needs. She’s been an active promoter of NQD since the beginning after meeting Dung, who plays on her husband’s baseball team. “Kris knew about my work with children with autism and developmental disabilities,” says Unten. “He started talking to me about his vision and he asked what I thought and I told him, ‘I thought it was wonderful.’”

 “There’s a lot of bullying,” Unten says. “I really feel that it’s hard for atypical children trying to just integrate into something and to have fun. I really think that Never Quit Dreaming provides a community to do that.”

 Unten says Dung has developed relationships in the community that are helping kids, such as the Bow Buddies program with the University of Hawaii baseball team. “Every Sunday when they have a game, a Bow Buddy pairs up with a child and they get to throw a baseball and hang out for 30 minutes after the game.”

 Unten’s son volunteers with the program. “I’m trying to get him to understand these children and get to know them,” she says.

NQD also has special events that provide private opportunities for families such as trips to the movie theater, Bishop Museum, or Kualoa Ranch, all designed for families with special needs children.

 Learn more NQD programs, volunteer opportunities, and sponsorships by visiting their website.

Keeping keiki healthy

Participating in sports is a great way to stay active. Learn more about supporting keiki health and well-being.

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The Hawaii Department of Education is working to equip parents and educators with the resources they need to help support their kids. Adults now have free access to one-on-one coaching, mental health virtual seminars, and online lessons led by therapists. Ayada Bonilla, school-based behavioral health educational specialist for the Office of Student Support Services, explains how this program is helping improve kids’ emotional well-being.