More than 60 athletes from five Simcoe-Muskoka high schools got to throw down Wednesday as they competed in a Special Olympics Bocce Ball tournament in Barrie.
The athletes spent the day at Bear Creek Secondary School in the city’s south end in the hopes of snagging a spot at the Special Olympic Games in Kingston.
The local high school has been involved with Special Olympics for more than a decade, so when the opportunity to host an in person event was presented it was an easy decision to make to host the tournament, explained Justina Debney, one of the school’s life skills teachers.
“Due to COVID, we haven't been able to host any major event for our life skills students and I thought bocce is a very accessible sport that our students have played in the past and thought it would be a great one for us to host," Debney told BarrieToday.
"The focus for Special Olympics is always on athletics and sports for all students, regardless of their intellectual or physical abilities," she added. "It was important for us, because we wanted to have an event that included all of our students, and Special Olympics was just a natural choice for us to be involved with."
The tournament, which kicked off at 9:30 a.m. and ran until 1:30 p.m. in the Red Oak Drive school’s gymnasium, included 66 athletes and 14 teams, with athletes coming from Bear Creek, Nouvelle Alliance, St. Peter’s, Bayview Transition School, and Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School.
The energy at these events is always infectious, Debney said.
“You are seeing athletes with varying abilities participating in a sport that perhaps they’re brand new to … and are doing it in a fully accessible (and) inclusive environment where, regardless of their disabilities or ability, they are able to truly be themselves in a safe environment. It’s a wonderful activity to be a part of.”
Bear Creek’s gym was buzzing with excitement, as athletes danced to music and cheered on their teammates and competitors in between matches.
Jenny Twigg, 19, who has competed with the Special Olympics in cross-country skiing, soccer, track and field and basketball in the past, said she was having lots of fun with her friends and teachers from St. Peter’s, another south-end Barrie high school.
“It’s great to be here. I like how fun it is and how entertaining (bocce ball) is. Everybody seems so happy," she said.
Grade 11 students Summer Rouse and Giada DiTommaso attended the tournament as part of one of St. Peter’s three “unified teams,” which partners students with an intellectual disability with students without an intellectual disability to compete.
Rouse told BarrieToday participating in the event was a great way to connect with her community outside of school and get to know the Special Olympic athletes on a different level.
“It’s a really good environment and just fun for everyone,” Rouse said.
"I feel like it’s a great opportunity to get to know one another and to be inclusive," added DiTommaso. "It creates a great environment for everyone to be together. It’s been really fun. I feel like everyone is making connections and making new friends."
Renee Sheremeta, who works as an educational assistant at St. Peter's, said she was extremely proud to see how well all of the students taking part were doing.
“I can really feel the energy. It’s really great, and I can see the students having a great time," she said. "Everyone is happy and it’s really good sportsmanship, too.”
Hellaina Rothenburg, a program consultant with Special Olympics Ontario, said Wednesday’s tournament was part of the organization’s Home Town Games.
“Home Town Games is our new competition model coming out of COVID, which is making sure competitions happen in the home communities right across the province," she said. "We don’t have to go big and far to have a great experience.”
Having local schools partner with Special Olympics to engage the students in their teenage years is a great way for participants to feel the camaraderie, goals and ambitions that come with being an athlete and going to the next level, Rothenburg added.
“That’s what these school championship series (do). There will be a games in Kingston this spring … and these teams today are qualifying to head to those championships," she said.
