Elms College Athletics Welcomes Special Olympians For Fifth Consecutive Year

By Mackenzie LaRochelle

In the winter of 2014 head softball coach Cheryl Condon brought the Special Olympics to Elms College.  Every year since, four to eight teams from around Western Mass come to the Elms campus to compete in the game that they love, basketball.

Two Sundays out of the year Elms student-athletes gather to help support the Special Olympians. This year the Special Olympians will compete in Picknelly Arena on Feb. 18 and 25. The Elms students, athletes, and faculty are not only showing up but are also fully engaged with the event as well, decorating the arena with signs for the Special Olympians and cheering them on throughout each and every game.

Student-Athlete Advisory Council President Cat Wrang says that the first time she came to the event she couldn’t wait for the next one to happen because of the way all of the athletes supported each other.

“After witnessing the Special Olympics for the first time I was full of joy and could not wait for the next Special Olympics event,” junior Cat Wrang says. The Special Olympics is a great way for Elms student-athletes of all teams to come and show the participants how the Elms Community is.

Elms and SAAC hope to make all of the Special Olympic athletes feel incredibly welcomed into the Elms community. The students and athletes at Elms College make the game day atmosphere as similar as they can to the atmosphere they experience at their own home games. The ultimate goal is to make sure the athletes feel the sense of community and support and to make it as memorable as possible for the athletes during the games.

Women’s basketball coach Michelle Proulx believes the event is important for the student-athletes at Elms to give back to their community and this is a great way in doing so.

“It shows the sense of community that our campus has and the kind of support that our athletes have on our campus for each other and all athletes.”

Wrang feels it’s extremely important to make the Special Olympic athletes feel welcomed and wanted. “Not only do they leave with smiles on their faces, but we do as well.”