Video by Amanda Steen

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Tayvon Alexander, a 19-year-old who likes to refer to himself as Michael Jordan, may not be a professional athlete but he certainly has the mindset of a champion.

"I'm the best player. I'm doing my thing. Sometimes I lose some. I just got to step up my game," said Alexander, a student at the Richard H. Hungerford School whose confident and positive attitude makes him sound like a pro.

The New Brighton resident was one of more than 250 students who competed Monday in the New York City Parks Department's Seventh Annual Paralympic Sport Club Youth Track and Field Open.

The event, which hosts competitions in both the fall and spring, usually takes place outdoors at the Icahn Stadium, Randalls Island. This year marks the first time the fall competition was moved indoors to the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Athletic Complex, which opened last year.

"We figured with the weather patterns changing and the temperatures going up and down, we have this great facility here in Staten Island," said Christopher Noel, accessibility coordinator/disability service facilitator with the city Parks Department. "We said let's break this in with our Paralympic program."

Though the venue has changed, the theme of the Paralympics has stayed the same, Noel said.

"This is somewhat different but we still wanted to keep the Paralympic theme because we want children to compete and we want children to stay in shape, stay healthy and fit, especially children with special needs. We wanted them to be able to do something athletic," said Noel, of the athletes who came from Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens to compete. "And the teachers love it because it gives them a chance to show the children competition in a large setting."

Noel said the Park Department enjoys partnering with the city Department of Education to get students to participate in the event.

"They've been talking about this for weeks," said Hiroyuki Yamada, director of school wellness programs for the city Department of Education, pointing to the students.

Among those students competing in events, which included the 60- and 200-meter dash, long jump and obstacle course, were Isabella Rivera, a 6-year-old with cerebral palsy who attends PS 48, Concord. Using a walker, the first-grader competed in the first race of the day against fellow student Arianna Pereira, a 9-year-old who also used a walker.

"It was wonderful!" said Rivera, after she finished competing.

Pereira agreed: "My heart was racing! It still is."

One of the best parts of the day, which included strength training and fitness, was hearing the roar of the crowd during competition.

"They like being cheered for -- that's the most important part," said Robin Kaplan, a paraprofessional from PS 373, which is located at PS 48. The school had more than two dozen students participate in the event.

Students like Alexander admitted they like to "win every race" but smiled throughout the day no matter how they did in each event. In addition to NYC Parks Adaptive Sports T-shirts, all students left the Paralympics with a shiny medal with a red, white and blue ribbon around their necks.

"Everyone is safe and everyone is having fun. And everyone goes home with a medal. That's what it's all about," said Noel.