Special Olympics teach that everyone is a winner
No matter what the back of the T-shirt says, winning isn’t everything.
Athletes, volunteers and spectators crowded into the HPER on Saturday to watch the Special Olympics Invitational for the swimming competition.
The Special Olympics is an “international program of year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than one million children and adults with mental disabilities,” according to the Service Center Web site. Competitions occur all over the state and Utah State is host to two invitationals throughout the year.
Volunteers coach Special Olympic athletes every week in swimming, basketball and track events. Shaun Prinster, director of the Special Olympics Invitational program, said these events are a great opportunity for students to work with the athletes and learn some things.
“They win, they lose, they don’t care,” Prinster said about the athletes. “They just have a good time being out there and somebody cheers for them and they feel like a million bucks.”
Prinster said the invitational program is a great way for people to give service without having to dedicate a set amount of time each week. He said volunteers could be as involved or uninvolved as they want.
The swimming invitational is a smaller competition held early in fall semester. A larger invitational will be held later in the semester, which includes basketball, swimming, games, food and a dance. Both are held on Saturdays and are all-day events.
“You need to get over the hesitation and just try it,” Prinster said. “Everyone who does it loves it.”
Volunteers can serve on two different levels, Prinster said. Participating on the committee, which meets weekly to plan, schedule and recruit for the larger invitational, is a more involved role. The committee can plan to put in about one to three hours a week, according to the Service Center Web site.
Emily Bingham, a special education major, said she has volunteered for the invitationals for three years. She also helps out as a coach for the athletes. Bingham said she loves seeing the excitement of the athletes.
“It’s a really great thing for me to see that we need to just keep trying in whatever we’re doing, just like they are,” Bingham said.
Prinster said the other level of service is to simply show up on the day of the invitational.
He said there are many tasks for people to choose from, including refereeing, running games, handing out awards or simply cheering the athletes on.
“There’s a lot of different possibilities,” Prinster said. “We want to work with volunteers so that it will be a good experience for everyone involved.”
Melissa Henderson, a community health and education major, said she volunteered at the swimming competition because of urging from friends. Her job on Saturday was to give awards to the athletes.
“I will for sure participate in the next invitational,” Henderson said. “I’ve never done it before, and I think it’s amazing.”
But volunteers are not the only ones who receive “a big payday,” Prinster said. The parents and the athletes are the ones who really are expecting the best.
Mindy Christensen is the mother of one athlete who participated in Saturday’s events.
She said her son really enjoys the competitions and has been for many years.
“I think it’s really organized with a lot of helpful, friendly people,” Christensen said. “I’m really impressed.”
The next invitational will be held Nov. 12 in the Fieldhouse, and Prinster urged students to come enjoy the experience. For more information, or to inquire about the committee, contact Shaun Prinster in the Service Center.
“Anyone who wants to volunteer – we’d love their help,” Prinster said.
-bmnelson@cc.usu.edu