TRENDING

Things took a turn, however, when some kids in the stands watching the game started making fun of one of the cheerleaders, Desiree Andrews, 14. 

Desiree, affectionately known as "D" by her peers, has Down syndrome, and when she began to be bullied from the stands, the boys on the basketball team weren't gonna stand for it. They promptly called a time-out and left the court to confront the bullies.

“One of the kids stepped up and said, ‘Don’t mess with her,’” said Brandon Morris, who was the boys’ seventh-grade coach last year when the incident happened, in an interview with Kenosha News. “Then all of the guys got together to show her support.

Miles Rodriguez, 14, was a player on the team and remembers the game clearly.

“We were mad; we didn’t like that,” he said. ”We asked our sports director to talk to the people and tell them not to make fun of her.”

“It’s not fair when other people get treated wrong because we’re all the same,” added Scooter Terrien, another player on the team. “We’re all created the same. God made us the same way.”

The message stuck. Not only did the bullies stop but the whole school caught on to the trend of being nice to one another.

“I think it’s great because some people thought Lincoln was a bad school, that it had a bad reputation, and I think this helps people think differently about that,” explained player Ben Morris.

Desiree was inspired to start cheerleading after seeing a girl on Glee with Down syndrome cheerleading. No one knew what a big impact on the school it would make. The gym is now officially renamed ‘D’s House’ in honor of Desiree and home games start with Desiree hi-fiving and fist bumping all the players as they run out.

“Who’s house? D’s house!” is a popular chant for the team as well.

Off the court, the kindness doesn’t stop: Desiree never walks to class alone.

“It was sweet, kind, awesome, amazing,” Desiree said about her new friends.

What do you do to show kindness to your fellow peers? Share in the comments below. 

by Kate Radin | 2/1/2016