April 16, 2026 — Cobb County’s Special Education Adapted Physical Education (ADPE) Field Day is a weeklong celebration focused on inclusion, participation, and student achievement. Designed for students with disabilities, the event highlights abilities—creating opportunities for every student to engage in fun, meaningful activities.
"In Cobb, all means all, and this week of fun and activity is a perfect example of this," said Special Education Program Supervisor Myra Camese. "Our Field Days support Cobb Schools' mission of ONE TEAM by ensuring that students of all abilities have access to meaningful, inclusive physical activity. They highlight the power of collaboration and celebrate inclusion, and reinforce our shared commitment to serving ALL students."
Organized by ADPE teachers across the Cobb County School District, the field days feature carefully planned games that ensure every participant can take part. Their efforts have helped the event grow each year, and the event now spans an entire week. Each day is dedicated to different groups: high school students kick things off on Monday, followed by middle schoolers on Tuesday, and then elementary events organized by regions across the county—south, west, and east—on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The event also brings together student volunteers, including athletes and other groups, who actively support and participate alongside their peers. This collaboration fosters a natural sense of inclusion, where students of all abilities interact and celebrate together.
"Everybody looks forward to this. We'll see over 1,000 kids this week and cook over 1,200 hot dogs. Between the Field Days and The Dance, I tell people I make my money in March because I love these events so much," said Adapted PE Specialist Patrick Fox with a big smile.
For over a decade, the ADPE Field Day program has continued to expand and improve, reflecting the District’s commitment to inclusivity. This goal is also shared by many dedicated sponsors, including Coca-Cola, CADY Studios, Cobb Police Athletic League, Sporturf, LGE Community Credit Union, and the Lutzie 43 Foundation.
Milad and Cassie from LGE were quick to point out how much they were enjoying the event and how perfectly it fit with their mission.
"Community is in our name for a reason," Milad said. "We love being here and seeing all the different kids enjoying the day."
Cassie noted how the student volunteers were having just as much fun as the participants.
"It is so amazing to see high school students jumping in to help and support the event and having such a great time doing it," she said.
The Lutzie 43 Foundation has served as a long-time sponsor of the event, going back to 2016.
"This is our family foundation named after our son, Philip, who lost his life in a distracted and impaired driving accident," said Philip's mother, Mary Lutzenkirchen. "Philip had a love for special needs kids, and sponsoring this event is such a privilege for us."
Philip was a Lassiter graduate and played Division I football for Auburn. He died in a terrible car crash in 2014. The football field at Lassiter bears his name, and his father, Mike, was moved by all the fun and activity on the last day of the week.
Philip was a Lassiter graduate who went on to play Division I football at Auburn before he died in a tragic car crash in 2014. Today, his legacy lives on at Lassiter, where the football field bears his name—and where his father, Mike, was moved by the joy and activity on the final day.
"It is so great to see high schoolers come out and love on kids that were born with challenges most of us were not. I don't know where I get the greater joy: between the high school kids, the elementary students who are getting loved on, or the incredible staff who wake up every Monday morning to be with these children five days a week. They're all just incredible. They exemplify patience and love. This is such an easy day for us to give back to Cobb County," said Mike Lutzenkirchen as he observed all the happiness on the field named after his son.
Scott Greb and Stephen Culver, Support Service Administrators at Wheeler and Pebblebrook high schools, respectively, were also having a great time enjoying the amazing spring weather and all the laughs and screams of delight all around them.
"There are so many games and activities available here, but my personal favorite is the bounce house," Scott Greb said. "So many of my kids tell me they can't miss it, so we line up for it as soon as we get here."
Stephen Culver has been with Cobb Schools for 25 years and has been at Pebblebrook for the past five, where he is also a proud graduate. He said his favorite part of the field days is seeing students he worked with when they were younger.
"This amazing event gives us the chance to see just how much progress these kids have made. They are getting older and getting closer to graduation, and it's just so great to see that and reconnect with all these kids who have meant so much to us," Stephen said about Cobb's ADPE Field Days.
