Posted 1:52 am Thursday, May 14, 2009
Area Special Olympics Draws Student Athletes From 5 School Systems
By BETTY WATERS
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
HENDERSON -- Disabled student athletes will win medals and ribbons at the Henderson Area Special Olympics, regardless of whether they are blind, afflicted with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism or another handicap.
The athletes, from five area school systems, who have been training for months are expected to converge in Lion Stadium here to compete 9 a.m.-2 p.m. May 22 with a crowd watching and cheering them on.
The Henderson community has provided funds and volunteers to stage the event to let special children from Henderson, Whitehouse, Troup, Overton, Carlisle and Tatum experience winning in sports.
"It will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment," said Cinny Pike, who has spearheaded the event.
"This is a local, nonqualifying meet. We just wanted to do something for those kids that wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity of going to the qualifying meet in Lufkin where (athletes) earn points and move on to state and national (competition)," Ms. Pike added.
In the past, Henderson ISD special education students participated in the Lufkin Special Olympics held on the weekend, which meant staying overnight in a hotel and paying aids and teachers extra. But they did not attend the last three years.
"With the economy, we knew it wasn't feasible this year for us to go to the expense of traveling to Lufkin and there are a lot of smaller area schools that don't have the money to do that either, so we decided to bring it to Henderson," Ms. Pike said.
The Henderson Area Special Olympics will be a community event. It is not a Henderson ISD sponsored effort, even though the district's facility will be the site and the organizer, Ms. Pike, is a longtime Henderson ISD special education teacher.
"If it wasn't for organizations, businesses, individuals and companies (that have provided funds and other assistance), we wouldn't be able to have it," Ms. Pike said. "This just reaffirms to me that Henderson is a wonderful town, because this town is truly unified. They come together and help one another. They want to encourage these kids. So many people are calling, wanting to volunteer and be involved."
She added, "It's wonderful. I can't express how much I appreciate the people of Henderson and how they've really stepped up and been willing to help with this. The community has really come together and supported this event."
The only requirement to compete is that disabled athletes are enrolled in public school and have a significant disability.
"It is geared toward the life skills student," Ms. Pike said. "We will have 107 athletes participating, with an additional 425 volunteers, give or take a few, so we will have over 500 people involved."
The large number of volunteers is necessary because a buddy is assigned run races with each disabled athlete and other extra measures will be taken to take care of the special students. An ambulance and medical personnel will be on standby in case they are needed.
The athletes will be ages 3 to 22 and have a broad range of disabilities, such as blindness, orthopedic impairments, mental retardation, autism and cerebral palsy.
The Special Olympics will be dedicated to the memory and in honor of Sarah Murphy, a former Henderson ISD special education student who recently died at the age of about 30.
The opening ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. consisting of a parade of athletes around the field, led the Henderson Middle School band and torch bearers representing each school district. Henderson ISD Superintendent Bobby Brown will speak and the program will include a prayer, the national anthem and presentation of a plaque to Ms. Murphy's parents.
There will be six track events and four field events.
The events will include 25 meter walker race, 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 100 meter adapted hurdles, 400 meter relay, 25 meter wheelchair dash, 50 meter wheelchair dash, softball throw, standing long jump, soccer kick and T-ball hit (designed for athletes in fifth grade and down).
"Every child will get a medal for every track event they participate in. They will receive a ribbon for every field event," Ms. Pike said. "We don't want anybody to think they lost because just being here for some of these kids is winning."
Multiple three-person heats will be run on the track races, with medals to be awarded resembling gold, silver and bronze medals given in the regular world Olympics for first, second and third places.
Special accommodations will be made for the disabled athletes. For example, if they need assistance in the 25-meter walker race, they are allowed to hold somebody's hand while walking or push their walker. There will be adaptive hurdles -- a two by four they will step over. "For some of these kids, stepping over that two by four is as big of a challenge as somebody jumping a regular hurdle," Ms. Pike said.
"I don't see any reason why (these) students shouldn't be entitled to participate in something that other students participate in. I think there is potential in every child."
