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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Shan and Shaun
Averett quarterback discovers rewarding friendship with special-needs student
Averett quarterback discovers rewarding friendship with special-needs student
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By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
As a quarterback for the Averett University football team, Shan Fairbanks can certainly appreciate a well-designed and executed play when he sees one. After his participation in a program designed to match high-achieving mainstream students with special-needs individuals laid the foundation for one of his closest friendships, it’s clear that appreciation extends to Fairbanks’ off-the-field pursuits, too.
Fairbanks met Shaun Beebe four years ago when Fairbanks was a sophomore football student-athlete at South Lake (Florida) High School. At that time, he was approached about becoming involved in a peer-buddy program that allowed special-needs individuals to take elective courses such as physical education, pottery and art outside of their self-contained classroom as long as they had a “buddy” to join them.
Initially, Fairbanks, who had experience coaching Little League baseball and Pop Warner football, was skeptical about the proposal because he’d never worked with special-needs students. But then he met Beebe, who has multiple health challenges. In addition to being autistic, he also has a form of dwarfism and Tourette’s syndrome.
Over the next two years, the peer-buddy program thrived, expanding from 16 participants to 75 by the time Fairbanks graduated. As a senior, he and another student were in charge of the program. Participants began doing skits and became involved with the Special Olympics as the interaction between students and their buddies spilled over into activities outside of school and began to involve participants’ families.
The relationship between Fairbanks and Beebe thrived as well. Fairbanks figured early on that the interaction would be confined to the classes they shared. Eventually, though, the two began hanging out outside of school. Beebe even began traveling with Fairbanks and the rest of the high school football team, serving as the squad’s mascot. Through the boys’ association, the families also grew close.
“I ended up hanging out with Shaun one day and I was like, ‘this kid is exactly me,’ ” said Fairbanks. “That’s kind of what the program is designed to do — get them involved in school and get them out so everybody can see how they really are as people and realize they are normal. That’s what happened.”
Fairbanks, who wants to become an orthopedic surgeon, is now in his sophomore year at Averett. Back in Florida, Beebe continues to attend adult special-needs classes. Despite the nearly 700 miles that separate them, the duo remains tight. They talk about once a week. For Fairbanks, trips home always include spending time with Beebe. One of the more memorable visits, the biomedical sciences major said, involved meeting and being photographed with NBA star Shaquille O’Neal at a benefit dinner.
“Shaun flipped out when he saw him,” said Fairbanks.
Beebe also has made the trip to the Danville, Virginia, campus twice. Both visits have included watching the Cougars in action. On Beebe’s most recent trip in late October, Fairbanks gave his friend an even bigger thrill than being able to renew their bond face-to-face by tossing a 22-yard touchdown pass.
As meaningful as his relationship with Beebe has become to Fairbanks, he relies on a familiar adage to quickly and succinctly sum up what he’s taken from the experience: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
“I’ve been around him almost four years. I could yell at him, he could yell at me or be mad at me, but no matter what he’ll always see me as a true friend,” said Fairbanks. “He won’t judge me for being me. He’ll see Shan, no matter what.”
Cougar football fans should like what they see in Fairbanks, too. He led Averett to a come-from-behind victory in his first game September 3, 2005, after the starting quarterback left the game with an injury.
Though his playing time was limited this past season, he appeared in all 10 games, throwing for 356 yards and five touchdowns with only one interception. The Cougars posted a school-best 7-3 record and a 6-1 USA South Conference mark en route to the program’s first league title, shared with Christopher Newport University.
Fairbanks met Shaun Beebe four years ago when Fairbanks was a sophomore football student-athlete at South Lake (Florida) High School. At that time, he was approached about becoming involved in a peer-buddy program that allowed special-needs individuals to take elective courses such as physical education, pottery and art outside of their self-contained classroom as long as they had a “buddy” to join them.
Initially, Fairbanks, who had experience coaching Little League baseball and Pop Warner football, was skeptical about the proposal because he’d never worked with special-needs students. But then he met Beebe, who has multiple health challenges. In addition to being autistic, he also has a form of dwarfism and Tourette’s syndrome.
Over the next two years, the peer-buddy program thrived, expanding from 16 participants to 75 by the time Fairbanks graduated. As a senior, he and another student were in charge of the program. Participants began doing skits and became involved with the Special Olympics as the interaction between students and their buddies spilled over into activities outside of school and began to involve participants’ families.
The relationship between Fairbanks and Beebe thrived as well. Fairbanks figured early on that the interaction would be confined to the classes they shared. Eventually, though, the two began hanging out outside of school. Beebe even began traveling with Fairbanks and the rest of the high school football team, serving as the squad’s mascot. Through the boys’ association, the families also grew close.
“I ended up hanging out with Shaun one day and I was like, ‘this kid is exactly me,’ ” said Fairbanks. “That’s kind of what the program is designed to do — get them involved in school and get them out so everybody can see how they really are as people and realize they are normal. That’s what happened.”
Fairbanks, who wants to become an orthopedic surgeon, is now in his sophomore year at Averett. Back in Florida, Beebe continues to attend adult special-needs classes. Despite the nearly 700 miles that separate them, the duo remains tight. They talk about once a week. For Fairbanks, trips home always include spending time with Beebe. One of the more memorable visits, the biomedical sciences major said, involved meeting and being photographed with NBA star Shaquille O’Neal at a benefit dinner.
“Shaun flipped out when he saw him,” said Fairbanks.
Beebe also has made the trip to the Danville, Virginia, campus twice. Both visits have included watching the Cougars in action. On Beebe’s most recent trip in late October, Fairbanks gave his friend an even bigger thrill than being able to renew their bond face-to-face by tossing a 22-yard touchdown pass.
As meaningful as his relationship with Beebe has become to Fairbanks, he relies on a familiar adage to quickly and succinctly sum up what he’s taken from the experience: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
“I’ve been around him almost four years. I could yell at him, he could yell at me or be mad at me, but no matter what he’ll always see me as a true friend,” said Fairbanks. “He won’t judge me for being me. He’ll see Shan, no matter what.”
Cougar football fans should like what they see in Fairbanks, too. He led Averett to a come-from-behind victory in his first game September 3, 2005, after the starting quarterback left the game with an injury.
Though his playing time was limited this past season, he appeared in all 10 games, throwing for 356 yards and five touchdowns with only one interception. The Cougars posted a school-best 7-3 record and a 6-1 USA South Conference mark en route to the program’s first league title, shared with Christopher Newport University.
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