The Good Sport: Video of fan with special needs starring at university football practice goes viral

The news can be depressing at times. Thankfully, the sports world usually isn’t.

Yahoo Sports is taking a weekly look at the true spirit of sport — the highlights that will warm your heart and the acts of kindness that go beyond the game.

Come on. Let’s take a load off together.

Fan with special needs stars at university football practice

With training camp well underway and the regular season just around the corner, the Laurier Golden Hawks football team took some time out of their preparations to put some smiles on the faces of a special group of individuals in their community.

In the process, they did the same for hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

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Late last week, the team’s Twitter account posted a video of Alex Morrison showing what he’s capable of during a drill. Within a few days, the clip had thousands of views and was all over social media.

Decked out in a Golden Hawks hat and shirt, Morrison made a few cuts with a football in tow. Upon coming face-to-face with a Laurier defender, Morrison showed off some fancy footwork, deked him out and took off past him.

As the defender fell to the ground, all of those in attendance cheered loudly and celebrated his accomplishment.

Morrison is a member of Light House’s adult program that supports those in Kitchener, Ont., with developmental disabilities, according to Chase Banger of CTV Kitchener.

The Golden Hawks, who play in nearby Waterloo, have made it an annual tradition to invite members of Light House to put their skills on display during a practice ahead of the season.

"When the Light House group comes in to practice, I think all the players quickly realize that these individuals are non-stop energy and their smiles are contagious,” Michael Faulds, the team’s head coach, recently told Kitchener Today with Brian Bourke on 570 NEWS.

"I think everyone realizes 'Let's stop complaining about the little things in our own lives, and let’s bring energy to each other and have a smile on our faces."

Morrison’s viral moment has been also shared on Twitter by the Canadian Football League, Sportsnet, Tim and Sid and Bleacher Report. In total, it’s been viewed over a million times on Twitter.

And since you’d probably love to see it from another angle, here is the moment from 519 Sports Online.

Opposing team shows support for goaltender who recently lost his father

It seems that from the beginning of time it’s been said sports teach more than just the skills required to play them. Earlier this month, a peewee hockey team in Boston showcased that and a video of their kind gesture has begun to make the rounds on social media recently.

Before a game, the group skated from their bench to the crease of Drew Karlovits — the opposing puck stopper — and tapped him on the pads. They were showing their respect to the young goaltender who lost his father, Pete, to ALS in July.

He was only 45.

What a classy move by these kids for someone going through an unimaginable tragedy.

The attention that the video has been receiving as of late has helped raise more money for the Karlovits family via GoFundMe. As of Tuesday night, over $100,000 has been donated.

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