Why Special Olympics Is So Important | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

Why Special Olympics Is So Important

The story of how Special Olympics impacted me

802
Why Special Olympics Is So Important
D3 SAAC

Over the past four years I have become more involved with Special Olympics and unified sports. For those that do not know, unified sports is when athletes team up and compete side by side with Special Olympic athletes. This growing involvement is due to my DIII college experience and the partnership that DIII shares with Special Olympics. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have gotten to spend time playing sports with Special Olympics organizations in a few different states and truly these experiences have changed my life.

As a freshman in college, my softball team volunteered at a Special Olympics softball competition. We ran stations and recorded scores as athletes competed in different skills that could qualify them for the Ohio state Special Olympics competition. Watching these athletes compete in the sport that I love was awesome because I was able to bond with the athletes and connect with them due to commonalities. This was the beginning of my Special Olympics involvement which grew over time.

During my sophomore year I was selected to be a representative on the DIII Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This committee dedicates time each year to participate in a Special Olympics unified sports event. We also had a Special Olympics world ambassador named Mitch come speak to us about the importance of unified sports. Mitch is the most inspiring person I have ever listened to and he alone impacted my life before I got to participate in any event. My first year on the committee, Special Olympics Indiana brought close to twenty Special Olympic athletes to the NCAA headquarters where we participated in disc golf. We teamed up as collegiate student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes. I got my butt kicked. I got the opportunity again to connect with these athletes but this time as people who were competing with me.

In that moment I realized it wasn't all about winning but more so about providing the opportunity for these athletes to compete on real teams in real sports. In January of my junior year I then traveled to San Antonio to take part in the NCAA convention where Special Olympics Texas provided us with the opportunity to play flag football with Special Olympics athletes from the area. The event was electric. We packed a room full of DIII athletes and SO athletes and competed for a few hours in one of the most popular sports in Texas. Then, this summer I went back to Indiana and competed with Special Olympics athletes again in basketball. All of these events were so much fun. To see how excited these athletes were to compete with us and to show us their skills was awesome. In these moments I learned that after high school, most Special Olympic athletes don't have the opportunity to compete anymore on teams or individually like I do and that's why unified sports events are so crucial. Competing with these Special Olympic athletes reminded me that sports are about working hard every day, trying to get better for your own personal growth, and enjoying the competition that is inevitably present no matter who is competing.

Thank you NCAA and Division III for your partnership with Special Olympics. Thank you Special Olympics Texas, Indiana and Ohio for your continued work and thank you Mitch for sharing your passion and working to create more opportunities for Special Olympics athletes across the world. You have truly changed my life.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over
reference.com

To those who celebrate, you just spent an entire day cooking an elaborate meal with all of your favorite foods. You probably ate your body weight in pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. What happens now? Oh yea, Christmas. It’s time to take out all of the decorations and Christmas themed things that have been sitting in the attic since last year; it’s time to make a reappearance. So, here are 10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

3062
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1846
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

201116
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

21491
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments