Dream Season: Time for celebrating

Somaybetherewasn'tthepompandcircumstanceoftheDreamBowl,whichbringsoutPurdue'smarchingband,theGoldustersandcoverstheentirepracticefieldinsideMollenkopf.

Somaybetheparticipantswerefewer,numberingnearadozenorso,onSunday.

Thiswasthekickoffto"DreamSeason,"thenon-contactfootballcampforindividualswithintellectualdisabilitiesthatculminatesintheDreamBowlinJanuary.

Butthatdidn'tkeepBoilermakersfromcomingoutinthenon-airconditionedfacility,anditcertainlydidn'tstoptheparticipantsfromthrowing,running,knockingdowntacklingdummiesandhavingagreattime.

NeitherwasgoingtomisstheuniqueopportunitythatDreamSeasonpresents.

"Yougettomeettheplayersand,I'mdisabled,soIcan'tparticipateinfull-gofootball,butIlovefootball,"saidJimmyHaffner,whohasbeenaparticipantinsomanyDreamSeasonseventshenowcountsRobHenryasafriendandjustbecameaseason-ticketholderforfootball.

"I'mahugePurduefan,sogettingtobeabletomeettheplayersandbeapartofthefootballexperienceisprettyawesome."

Thesmallerturnoutofferedaspecialblessing.

Players,whoalreadyarebecomingfamiliarwiththeparticipantsthemoretheyattendtheseevents,wereabletomakemorepersonal,lastingconnections.

"Mostofthestations,therewerethreeplayers,twoparticipants,soitwasreallyworkingone-on-onewiththem,"saidseniorfullbackKurtFreytag,theplayerliaisonforPurdue'sDreamSeasonchapter."Itwasalotdifferentthanitusedtobe.Usually,youwanttogeteveryonetogothroughandgettheirchancetogo(ateachstation).But,theywentfourorfivetimes(onSunday)."

ItwastheseventhDreamSeasoneventforoffensivetackleKevinPamphile,whosehasasimpleforhisrepeatedreturntripstohelp.

"Ireallyitenjoyit.It'sreallyfunhavingfunwiththeseguys,"saidPamphile,whowassweatingsomuchaftertheone-hoursessionthathejokeditwasjustanotherworkout."Iknowthemalotbetter.Iknowthembynameandwehaveagoodtimeandhavegoodconversations.It'sniceseeingtheirfacesagain,havingagoodtime."

Therewereplentyofmomentstocherishwiththesmallergroup.

Atnearlyallofthesixstations,playerswerecheeringontheparticipants.Armsshotupandyellswerereleasedwhenapassconnectedintothenetorsankintoabucketorakickwasexecuted.

And,asalways,participantswereencouragedtodisplaytheirbesttouchdowndanceattheendofadrilloraskill.

Oneparticipantfavoredakindofchickendance,armsbentand"flapping,"whichtightendSterlingCarterpromptlyjoinedinon.Anotherstartedswayingandthenaddedrhythmicclapsandacheer,alsoquicklyadoptedbythesurroundingplayers.

Pamphilespecificallymentionedoneparticipant,Andrew,whomtheplayerscalled"Bear,"andsaid,"Hegaveusagoodshow."

Afterthepassing,kickingandrunningwasdone,theparticipantslinedupforautographsandphotos.Someaskedforplayerstoflexforthecamera.Thegoalofthosespecificpics:ToshowtheirmuscleswerebiggerthanthoseoftheBoilermakers,Pamphilesaid.

"There'snothingwrongwiththat,"hesaid,smiling."Ithinkthat'sfun."

ThatwasthethemeSunday,andoneFreytagwashappytosharewithsomanyofhisteammates.Becauseit'sthevoluntaryevent,he'sneversurehowmanywillturnout.ButhewashappywiththegroupwhoshowedupSunday-therewereatleast20players.

"It'sencouraging,"hesaid."It'sawesometosee.ItmeansalottoalltheDreamSeasoncampersforustoshowup.Iknowit'simpactfulforthemandforus."

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