Fans cheering, balls bouncing, nets swishing: all of these sounds filled Bill Vining Arena this morning.
A passerby might have mistaken the sounds for an especially lively Ouachita basketball practice, but in reality there was something much more exciting taking place in the gym: the annual Special Olympics basketball event. People with a disability, or athletes, from around the state came to Ouachita to compete. These athletes improved their basketball skills and played in games against one another. They interacted with volunteers and then went on to receive medals for all their hard work. The athletes then loaded the buses and went home, looking forward to the next basketball event held at Ouachita.
Special Olympics and Ouachita have had a relationship for a long time. The two organizations began to work together in 2002 when Dr. Mike Reynolds, then chair of the kinesiology department, realized the need for his students to work with persons with disabilities. He strongly believes that the best way to learn is to do, and decided to host an event which would allow his students to practice what they had been learning in the classroom. To bring this about, Reynolds decided to organize Special Olympics basketball. The premise was simple: teaching basketball to persons with special needs while allowing them to compete and have fun. Some athletes go through drills where they pass, shoot and dribble, while other athletes compete in a tournament. No matter what they are doing, the goal of the event is for the athletes to have fun.
“I got a message several years ago from a teacher that said a kid got on the bus and came back and said, ‘This was the bestest day ever,’” Reynolds said. “We’ve picked that up, and that’s our motto: to make this the bestest day ever for these athletes.”
The “bestest day ever” has seen a lot of transformation since its first year in 2002. The event had humble beginnings, with only kinesiology students and a few volunteers helping to run it, but the event has transformed into a campus-wide celebration. Over 240 people volunteered for the event this year.
The volunteers played with the athletes and cheered them on. They gave the athletes attention and showed them love. Many volunteers, Dr. Reynolds said, were able to spend time with people with disabilities for the first time in their life, an experience that opens their eyes to a different world. Volunteers get to communicate with people with whom they would likely have never communicated. They get to understand the similarities and differences between their normal life and that of the special needs community. This awareness can allow for future interaction and respect between the two communities.
“It’s a breakdown of barriers,” Reynolds said. “That’s the way we are in the real world. We’re all in this world together. So, it’s not ‘us’ and ‘them,’ but it’s ‘we’ together.”
Volunteers love getting to interact with the athletes. Sophomore McKenzie Gosser volunteered with the cheerleading team last year and volunteered once again this year.
“[Watching the kids have fun] brought so much joy to my heart,” Gosser said. “There was one little girl who idolized us as cheerleaders. She got one of our poms and was shaking it and doing cheers with us. It was really cool to see her look up to us.”
Special Olympics not only has an impact on the volunteers, but it also has a huge impact upon the athletes and their families.
One of these athletes is Sam Lowrance from Benton. Sam is 7 years old and has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. He has been competing in Special Olympics since he was three and has been going to the Ouachita basketball event for the past two years. Sam has had a big impact on those he is around, including freshman Sarah Cowell.
“Working with Sam is very exciting. He has so much enthusiasm that it is always exciting, because you never know what he is going to do,” Cowell said. “He loves to laugh, and every moment is filled with fun because we laugh at everything.”
Sam is a part of a Special Olympics program called “Young Athletes,” which allows for athletes to get involved with Special Olympics at an early age. Athletes at this age do not participate in extremely competitive events, but rather participate in activities which acclimate them to sports and to interacting with other kids and volunteers. Sam loves to participate in Special Olympics.
“You can tell that Sam is always in a good mood after Special Olympics events,” said Vonda Lowrance, Sam’s mother. “He is just happy. I feel like if Sam could talk he would be saying, ‘Oh my gosh, that was so much fun. When can we do it again?’”
Not only does Special Olympics allow for Sam to have a good time, but it has also fostered growth in his physical and social abilities. Special Olympics allows for Sam to be active and participate in sports while also interacting with other people and making friends.
“The first time Sam participated he was very shy, and he stuck to me like glue. Since he has been doing this a few years, he has become so much more social,” Lowrance said. “He has made new friends, and, even though neither of them may talk, you can see the excitement when they see each other.”
Special Olympics is a very unique organization because it serves to benefit both the volunteers and the people for whom they are serving. Special Olympics provides opportunities for growth in both physical and social skills for its athletes, while also providing awareness and breaking down barriers for the volunteers. Special Olympics is a great organization, and Ouachita is very fortunate to have it on campus.
– By Caleb Byrd, sports writer
