First Post
We love keep track of all the Firsts that are accomplished through our programs. This First post kicks off the story-telling of how most, if not all of those special points in time came about.
What better topic for a first post than starting to tell the history of all our “firsts”, from our roots at Rye Airfield and the early days of Get On Board in 2010 to the launch of First Push Syndicate in April 2021.
Enjoy the history lesson!
The FIRST Get On Board program resulted from a dinner conversation with my young family in late spring 2010. My son Levi, who was in 5th grade, wished he could skateboard during PE class, and before I could catch myself, I blurted out, “You Can!” Thank you growth mindset. A few phone calls later, plus some scrambling through our skateboard collection in the barn and grabbing every piece of rental gear possible at Rye Airfield, skateboarding arrived at the Mary Hurd School in North Berwick, Maine.
Day one was full of firsts, with 58 students (every 5th grader in the school) learning how to skateboard, but the most important first was my buddy Josh learning how to skateboard. Josh has Down Syndrome, but because I had known him for most of his life and we were so comfortable together, it never occurred to me that Josh might be the first to jump on his board; there were plenty of other potential rascals (like myself) that I expected to regulate. He was on the ground in a flash, not wanting to continue.
What transpired next was magic, immediately changing what would become Get On Board. I had my co-coach Eric Santos take over the class while Josh and I went to the side and sat down with skateboards on our lap. We started exploring the board by spinning wheels, feeling the grip tape, and rolling it around with our hands. I watched Josh take over, leading the play by crawling onto the board on his belly and swimming away. Our 2nd First, adaptive skateboarding, happened and we didn’t see it coming. In minutes, Josh led the way with how we teach adaptive skateboarding in Get On Board. He rode on his belly, butt, and knees, but more importantly, he taught the rest of the class how to skateboard like him. Josh became a leader and teacher among his peers because skateboarding was a tool that allowed his abilities to be highlighted.
I left the school that day full of stoke and knew that skateboarding needed to be in more schools. The name Get On Board just happened. I don’t totally recall where it came from, but maybe someday, the memory will rattle loose.
Until the next first! - Beau