Haddonfield , New Jersey ( CNN ) -- Like any doting mother , Michelle Stilts wants her son , Dalton , to go to college , get married and start a family . But today , all the 15-year-old can think about is playing football . This weekend , he joins his teammates in Nebraska to play flag football at the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games . `` When you think of sports , you think of Dalton , '' Michelle Stilts said . `` He was probably born with a ball in his hand ... he loves any kind of sport . '' Stilts suffered a brain injury after his family was in a car accident when he was only 21 months old . Unable to talk and paralyzed on his left side , he had to relearn everything . Throughout Dalton 's early years , his parents struggled coping with his new behavior . He had difficulty with his speech , trouble with paying attention , and he would often wander off in public . Accommodating his needs was n't an easy task with two other children , Shelby and Logan , at home in addition to Dalton , said Michelle Stilts . When it came time to attend school , mainstream public school classrooms were n't a good fit for his disability . The Stilts ' needed an alternative , so the search for a new school began . At age 7 , he was enrolled at Bancroft , a school for children and adults with special needs located in Haddonfield , just outside Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . `` I know he 's loved here , you know , he 's really given a chance to be a normal child , which is great for me , that 's all I really wanted for him , '' Michelle said . `` I always wanted him to be respected , and accepted . '' Tuition at the school can range from $ 38,000 to $ 42,000 a year depending on the needs of the student . However , in New Jersey , if a school district can not appropriately educate a student with a disability , it can find a placement at a private school like Bancroft . That district then pays for the education of the child . That financial assistance has been a huge relief for the Stilts . `` We would n't be able to afford the care he gets here , '' Michelle said . Football has played an important part in Dalton 's growth . Playing sports allows Dalton to come out of his shell and be a team player , skills that will one day help him transition into society . While Bancroft does n't have a football team , Dalton plays with other Special Olympic athletes from the area and works with Steve Paul , the Special Olympics coordinator at Bancroft . `` He 's all energy , he 's a great player , he works hard at practice , he always wants be a part of sports , '' Paul said . `` It 's everything that I remember about loving sports when I was younger , that is what Dalton is . '' Dalton is one of 2,800 athletes who were selected from 600,000 from across the United States to compete in the Special Olympics . The family leaves Saturday to join Dalton at the National Games . Opening ceremonies will be broadcast live on Sunday , and the events will take place all next week in Lincoln , Nebraska . Dalton says he is ready to win gold . `` I like to play football because I like to be quarterback and running back , because I am the fastest on the team , '' he said . `` I want to win . '' His hard work at practice , and in the classroom , has paid off . He no longer needs speech classes and he is making progress with his attention issues and is a member of the student council . `` He 's always out to help students who maybe do n't get it as quickly as he does , and I think we all can learn a lesson from that , '' said Bancroft 's principal , Bob Lenherr . `` Dalton is a very special young man . ''
Ryan Williams is competing in American football in the 2010 Special Olympics . He suffered a brain injury after a car accident when he was a child . Football has helped him with confidence , as well as speech skills . The 2010 Special Olympics USA Winter Games begin next year in Lincoln , Nebraska .