Students with and without special needs are becoming varsity teammates in Montgomery County schools for the first time this year. And special bonds are forming.

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Montgomery County is one of the first school systems in the nation putting student-athletes with and without special needs on the same varsity teams, including handball, bocce ball, and softball so far.

Coaches hope other schools across the nation take notice. They say there's a notion that kids with special needs can't participate in sports on an equal footing.

But the coaches believe they just need someone to give them a chance.

"One of the main messages we're trying to send is, everybody has something to contribute," says Scott Gerson, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School student coach.

NewsChannel 8's Jenny Doren has the story and takes us to one of the games.