Special Olympics to open at A&M

By: Melissa Appel

Posted: 10/22/08

Texas A&M and the Bryan-College Station area will host the 2008 Special Olympics Texas Fall Classic Friday and Saturday.

The event, one of the three annual statewide competitions presented by Special Olympics Texas, is expected to draw more than 1,500 athletes from 22 area divisions across Texas.

Fall Classic includes competitions in aquatics, bocce, golf, softball and the triathlon. The event venues are scattered across the Bryan-College Station area, with the A&M campus hosting opening night events at Anderson Track Complex, aquatics at the Student Recreation Center and golf at the A&M Golf Course.

Opening Ceremonies kick off the weekend at 7 p.m. Friday at Anderson Track Complex. The ceremonies include the Parade of Athletes, the reading of the Athlete Oath, the lighting of the torch and the official welcome by Mayor Pro Tem Lynn McIlhaney. Members of the A&M softball team will declare the games open.

Special Olympics Texas has 27,610 athletes from across the state. The organization offers activities and programs for participants starting at 2 years old to participate in Fall Classic. To be considered an athlete participants must be at least 12 years old.

"The mission of Special Olympics Texas is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with others," said Kelly Coffey, vice president of communications for Special Olympics Texas.

The organization relies on 44,477 volunteers and more than 2,800 volunteer coaches. There are more than 240 annual competitions, consisting of area and regional competitions, as well as three statewide events: Summer Games, Fall Classic and Winter Games.

"There is a place for everyone to be involved with Special Olympics Texas," Coffey said. "Not only will your help change the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities, your life will be changed as well."

For Fall Classic, Special Olympics Texas has called for more volunteers. Event organizers are hoping for more than 1,000 volunteers to help with various programs and activities during the weekend.

Online registration for volunteers has ended, but the Special Olympics Texas website http://sotx.org contains a schedule of events and openings for volunteers.

This is the first year for the on-campus organization Aggie Special Olympics Texas Volunteers. This group has been active in recruiting students to help with activities during Fall Classic.

The website, http://asotv.tamu.edu, has listings of local teams that need buddies to stay with the athletes throughout the day.

"It's an amazing opportunity to interact with the athletes," said President of ASOTV Ashley Hermes, a senior kinesiology major. "They're very passionate about what they do. It's really neat to see their smiles."

Members of ASOTV encourage students to hang out with the athletes during the weekend. Students can interact with athletes at Athlete Village at the Brazos County Exposition Center, during any sport activity during the weekend and at Opening Ceremonies.

"Opening Ceremonies will have Parade of Athletes. Ross volunteers will escort the athletes in," Hermes said. "They want to line the track with supporters to cheer them and to get them pumped up and excited about competition."

Special Olympics Texas and ASOTV encourage interested volunteers to get involved with activities at any time of the year.

"When you go throughout life, I feel small personally," said Secretary of ASOTV Tram Pham, a senior biomedical sciences major. "You wonder, 'What did I do to make a difference?' Sometimes in school you're so grounded in what you're doing, it's hard to see the bigger picture. The smiles and hugs the athletes give you make you see it's not just about you."

All events except the triathlon will run Friday and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to mid-afternoon. The triathlon is Saturday morning from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Students are welcome at any activity, including all sporting events, Opening Ceremonies and Athlete Village.