On Tuesday, April 22, approximately 85 students from Weeki Wachee, Central and Hernando High Schools, along with Winding Waters K-8, came together in a Special Olympics tournament. The students ranged in age from eight to 21 and have intellectual challenges, as well as autism and cerebral palsy. Their sport was basketball, and the games, complete with high-spirited cheerleaders from the Weeki Wachee High School Varsity Cheerleading squad, were as exciting as any in which I’ve watched my nephew compete in the NCAA Ivy League college games. The gym was filled with relatives and friends of the athletes, as well as their fellow students, who took part of their lunch period to cheer the athletes on.
Seventeen-year-old Marcus Creameans has been participating in Special Olympics for the past seven years. Two years ago, he won a gold medal in basketball, and in elementary school, he earned a silver medal. Besides basketball, Marcus enjoys bowling, power lifting and soccer. He’ll be graduating from Weeki Wachee High School next year. He wants to play basketball in college and study to become a wildlife biologist.
Destiny Calloway is also seventeen and has been participating in Special Olympics for six years. Besides basketball, she participates in swimming, soccer, track and field, and equestrian events.
Jessica will be graduating this year and plans to attend beauty school and study cosmetology.
Mrs. Ann McHugh, Employment Specialist with the Exceptional Student Education program at Weeki Wachee High School, was her school’s coach and one of the coordinators of the event. Coaches and coordinators from the other schools were Alexis Newberry and Paola Gines Calderon (Winding Waters); Jeanne Ledbetter and Tony Shackford (Hernando High); and Angelica Paine (Central High School).
There were four different competitions, divided up by skill levels. Beginning athletes competed in the individual events, in which they demonstrated skills such as passing, dribbling, shooting baskets and free throws. Next came team skills in which athletes played three-on-three and five-on-five. They passed the basketball to one another and attempted to score points.
The more advanced athletes played on teams in which one school played another school. Their footwork, dribbling, passing, defensive and offensive maneuvers, and shooting baskets demonstrated the hours of practice they must have put in, while their teamwork and sportsmanship demonstrated the ideals that competitive sports stand for.
Mrs. McHugh stated that the goal of the event was to “promote inclusion.” “Special Olympics tackles the stigma, isolation and injustice that individuals with intellectual disabilities face. Our students with disabilities deserve the right to participate in a sport and to have their skills celebrated,” she said.
“The most notable goal of bringing Special Olympics to Hernando County schools is that players get to learn about their teammates with different abilities. They become equal partners, and friendships develop. It goes beyond sports events; it’s to drive the changes which will enable full social participation of our students.”
Jessica Ott, a former college basketball coach, has been the West Coast regional director for Special Olympics for the past six years. She works with both children and adults. They can participate in twenty different sports, including flag football, stand-up paddleboard, gymnastics and equestrian. One of the older competitors was an 80-year-old golfer.
Athletes who win gold in their sports at the area level go on to the regional. From there, they can advance to state, national and international competitions.
She remarks that “her passion for sports and the people in general” is what brought her into Special Olympics. “Our athletes are absolutely incredible. They bring so much joy and people don’t realize the things they can accomplish. Some are very competitive.”
As with any nonprofit organization, Special Olympics is always looking for volunteers. You can volunteer on the day of an event or over a longer period of time as coaches or help organize and run events.
“It takes all of us−athletes, coaches, volunteers, families and the general public−to open our minds and hearts to our students with intellectual disabilities and to provide new opportunities for them to shine along with their peers without intellectual disabilities,” Ms. McHugh concluded.
If you know someone who qualifies for the Special Olympics, or if you’d like to volunteer, you can go to www.specialolympicsflorida.org or email [email protected] for more information.
