- January 14, 2025
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Haley Olson’s Matanzas High teammates cheered. The coaches cheered. The spectators cheered. The opposing team cheered.
Olson, an Exceptional Student Education senior at Matanzas, scored her first basket in a girls varsity basketball game on Jan. 7 in the Pirates’ 49-4 home victory over Deltona Trinity Christian.
“She’s definitely the star of the week,” coach Ethan Buchanan said.
In fact, FOX 35 Orlando came to the high school the following day to do a feature story on Olson.
Olson, who has autism, has been on the bowling team and a sideline cheerleader since she was a freshman. She has also participated with the school’s theater troupe. This is her first season on the basketball team.
She took part in summer basketball workouts with the team with former Matanzas girls coach Travis Boone. When Boone switched to the boys basketball program shortly before preseason practice, he told new coach Buchanan about Olson.
“Her mom asked me if I had any experience coaching or teaching ESE students,” Buchanan said. “I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ She said, ‘Hailey would like to try out. If you have to cut her, cut her.’ I said she’ll have a spot in some capacity, even if it’s ball girl or team manager.”
Buchanan did make cuts, but Olson wasn’t one of them.
“I saw how well she worked with the girls, how hard she worked, how she followed directions. She was a pleasure to have. I wanted to keep that on the team,” Buchanan said.
Whether she’s rooting her bowling teammates on, cheering from the football sidelines or encouraging her basketball teammates from the bench, Olson’s exuberance is contagious.
When you have coaches that understand special abilities, it makes a huge difference. That’s why inclusion is so important.
— JACKIE OLSON, Haley's mom
But on Jan. 7, she got the chance to leave the bench and play in a basketball game for the first time. The Pirates’ mission in the fourth quarter was to set her up to score a basket.
“She played the whole fourth quarter. The trick was figuring the best game she would be comfortable to do it. Trinity Christian turned out to be the right choice,” Buchanan said. “We told her to ‘follow whatever (co-captain) Kate Smith tells you. If she tells you that’s your spot, that’s where you need to go.’ She did it perfect.”
In the closing minutes, Olson put up a shot and was fouled. She barely missed both free throw attempts with one bouncing around the rim, Buchanan said. A couple of plays later, she got the ball again behind the foul line. She dribbled twice into the paint and swished a short jumper just before the game-ending buzzer sounded.
“That’s the shot we had practiced,” Buchanan said.
Her teammates all gave her a high five. Buchanan came onto the court to give her a high five.
“It was a beautiful thing,” said Jackie Olson, Haley’s mom. “She just celebrated the whole night long with her teammates then all night long at home.”
Haley first participated in a basketball clinic with Coach Boone at Rymfire Elementary School a couple of years ago, Jackie Olson said.
“She does love basketball, so we decided to try it. Coach Boone treats Haley just like everybody else and Coach Buchanan has done the same thing,” Jackie Olson said. “That’s the key. When you have coaches that understand special abilities, it makes a huge difference. That’s why inclusion is so important. She definitely likes to be with all of her friends and doing the same things they’re doing and she learns from that. She thrives on that.”
Haley hopes to attend the University of North Florida next year in its on-campus transition program. Her goal is to work for Disney World and continue spreading joy to others.
