Student Contributor -R. Blevins
This organization is amazing. Their whole purpose, is to provide students in the state of Washington who have special needs and disabilities with the opportunity to play sports. They partner with school districts and community centers to create teams and local sports organizations. They treat their sports just like the Olympics we all watch on TV every four years.
This organization is huge on inclusion. One of the biggest things they push for is inclusion of special needs kids in schools. I remember growing up how excited these athletes got at school the week before they had their big tournament for basketball or track and field or whatever sport it was, they were competing in. students would also come back the next week of school and wear their gold, silver and bronze medals they won from the competition. This organization is huge at helping families be able to compete in these events every year. They will give families good shoes for their athletes to wear for track and field. They will provide organizations with basketballs to practice with, and my all-time favorite is the sack lunches that every coach and athlete gets during competition weekend. They don’t want any athlete to go hungry, and want to see them succeed in every aspect of life. Before this organization, these students didn’t have much, but because of Special Olympics Washington, these kids lives are changed for the better and they are making a huge difference in thousands of athletes across the state every single year.
Students and teachers make up everything and make this all possible. Teachers are the coaches for the teams, and students volunteer their time and act like assistant coaches to the teachers and mentors to the athletes. In some cases, students can even play with the athletes doing something called being a “Unified Partner”. This is where teams are made with a mixture of athletes and student volunteers to promote inclusion of athletes in all aspects of their lives. On and off the court, field, track, etc. nothing makes an athlete feel more special then to go around school talking about how Mrs. so and so, or Mr. so and so teacher is my coach for basketball. It helps these kids also do better at school because they build that bond up with those teachers and the student volunteers. Growing up for me being a student volunteer for 10 years from when I was 10 years old until I graduated high school and even periodically in college too, was the best part of my childhood. Yes, I got a lettermen’s jacket for my time on the high school Golf team, but nothing meant more to me then the year I partnered with an athlete on my Special Olympics Golf team to win a state championship. He worked so hard that year and always made sure I was practicing and at every event we had that year. The bonds that teachers and students make with
