SAAC Hosts Special Olympics

Last Saturday, September 16, Houghton College’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted a Special Olympics Bocce Ball Tournament for athletes from across the region.

Between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, athletes from around the region came to the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex soccer field to enjoy the activities.

Each year, the Special Olympics hosts hundreds of events all over the country for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The athletes compete in a variety of sports, from rhythmic gymnastics to snowshoeing to badminton. As a member of NCAA Division III, Houghton is encouraged to make connections with a number of different organizations, including the Special Olympics.

The SAAC representatives on the planning committee for the tournament were Casidhe Heskchke ‘19, Tanya Hatton ‘19, Taylor Sile ‘19, Bjorn Webb ‘18, Jacqi Lewis ‘19, Jordan Crouch ‘18, Steph McMahon ‘19 and Malik Bullock ‘19. SAAC worked to arrange the event and, with the help of several student-athletes and faculty members, volunteered at the tournament. “We set up the bocce ball courts, hung signs, prepared music, set up tables, had an opening ceremony and paraded in the athletes, kept score at each match, and helped with the closing ceremony and the handing out of awards,” said SAAC President Bjorn Webb.

SAAC members also engaged with the Special Olympics this past January, when several SAAC representatives attended the Empire 8 Summit at St. John Fisher in Rochester, NY. While there, they had the opportunity to play basketball and floor hockey with Special Olympics athletes. Several SAAC representatives also attended last year’s tournament to see what kinds of organization it required and whether it could potentially be hosted at Houghton.

They then invited representatives from Special Olympics to determine whether Houghton would be able to host the tournament. “Two directors from Special Olympics, as well as a couple of leaders and coaches from the local teams, came and toured our facilities and discussed what it would take to host an event like this and potential different events in the future as well,” said Hand. “After months of planning it all came together.”

In the past, SAAC has participated in similar events, but the group wanted to expand their involvement even further. “Over the years we have worked with BOCES and offered what was called a ‘BOCES’s Field Day,’ but since our transition into NCAA Division III, we wanted to expand that opportunity and begin to work with our local Special Olympics groups/teams,” explained Deanna Hand, SACC’s faculty advisor.  “We have an amazing new facility, the Kerr-Pegula Field House, and the surrounding fields, that allow us the opportunity to host a number of different events.”

SAAC anticipated that the Bocce Ball tournament would become a regular event at Houghton. “There was not a Bocce Ball tournament in our section of NY for the Special Olympics last year,” said Webb, “and we hope to make this a yearly partnership with the Special Olympics where we can help them out and host an event yearly.”