Photo by Sully Caruso
By Sully Caruso
Students traded their normal sports routines for water balloons, hula hoops and tug-of-war during a special Field Day that brought student-athletes together with local Special Olympics athletes.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee organized the event. The goal was to give students a chance to build relationships with athletes from the Special Olympics of North Carolina. It also gave athletes from different sports a chance to meet each other and have fun outside of their normal teams.
Coach Cameron Davis, who helped organize the event, said the idea was to open up the school to local Special Olympics athletes and start building a relationship with SONC.
“We held Field Day as a way to open up our campus to the local Special Olympics athletes in hopes of building relationships with individuals and the Special Olympics of North Carolina organization,” Davis said.
During the Field Day, students and Special Olympics athletes participated in different activities. The events included a water sponge relay, water balloon toss, and hula hoop relay. Teams were mixed rather than keeping students with people from their own sport. This allowed athletes to meet people they may not have talked to before.
Davis said the idea for the event had been talked about by him and the previous SAAC President and Vice President, Reagan Stewart and William English. They wanted to find a way for the school to build a stronger relationship with SONC.
The event wasn’t just about winning; it was also about having fun and making new connections.
“For me, I felt like this event was a great way to bring all of the athletes together for something other than the sports we play,” Davis said.
At the end of the Field Day, the winning team was decided through a game of tug-of-war. Two Special Olympics athletes from the winning team received Peace T-shirts and SAAC sunglasses.
Although there was some competition, the focus was on teamwork and fun. Students worked directly with the Special Olympics athletes and helped them during the different events.
Taylor Byrd, a softball player and one of the team captains, said she has always cared about Special Olympics athletes and enjoys seeing the way they compete.
“I’ve always had a huge place in my heart for those athletes,” Byrd said.
Byrd said watching them compete with so much excitement also made her think about how she approaches sports herself.
“Watching them truly and genuinely compete with joy makes me as an athlete reflect on how I approach sports,” Byrd said.
For many athletes, sports can sometimes feel like they are only about winning. Byrd said the Special Olympics athletes showed her that there is more to sports than just the result.
“It’s like our whole life we are taught it’s all about winning when in reality the Special Olympians teach us that it’s about having fun and being grateful for the opportunity to compete,” Byrd said.
The event gave students a different way to look at competition. Instead of worrying about who won each event, students could focus on working together and enjoying the day.
The Field Day also helped athletes from different sports get to know each other better. Because the teams were mixed, athletes who normally wouldn’t interact got the chance to work together. This helped make the event feel more like one big team instead of separate groups.
Davis said the event impacted both the school’s athletes and the Special Olympics athletes who visited.
“It was one of those events that made you feel good at the end of the day because of the amount of impact we had on not only our own athletes but the local SONC athletes as well,” Davis said.
Planning the event took work from SAAC members and student-athletes who helped organize and lead the different teams. Davis said SAAC worked hard to put the event together.
The Field Day showed how sports can bring different people together. Students competed, made new friends, and learned from the Special Olympics athletes who joined them.
For Taylor, the biggest lesson from the day was that sports don’t always have to be about winning. Sometimes, the most important part is enjoying the chance to compete and being thankful for the people around you.
The event gave the school a chance to create new relationships with local Special Olympics athletes and SONC. It also showed students that athletics can be about more than just scores and trophies. Sometimes, it is about having fun, supporting others and making memories together.