On the global scale, the Olympics unite the world in competition. In Orange County, the Elementary Special Olympics are serving a similar purpose.
Goshen is thrilled to be hosting the ninth annual Elementary Special Olympics at Goshen High School on May 17. From the district office to the halls of our schools, the Goshen community has been hard at work to prepare for this amazing event. The districts competing in this year’s event joined us in a video to celebrate the upcoming event, watch it here:
A staple of the Olympics is the torch that burns throughout the games. For this year’s event, the torch in the promotional video was 3D printed in Goshen High School by Mr. Johnson and Kiran Foster.
While the preparation for the games in Goshen are now in full swing, the games on the 17th are months in the making. It all started when Pupil Personnel Services Director Dr. Heather Hendershot saw the opportunity to host in Goshen at a meeting with the Special Olympics county directors. “I thought it would be a nice way to get the communities involved around the county, as well as just doing something nice here in the district and getting our community involved,” Dr. Hendershot said.
As soon as the district returned from holiday recess, the preparation began. In January, Goshen’s Charles Doyle, Kristen Kurpick and Dr. Hendershot all became certified Special Olympics coaches.
As the games get closer, the coaches have been a part of some practices at Goshen High School where Goshen’s athletes are preparing for the events they will be participating in during the Special Olympics. Rather than competing as a team, students are going to be showcasing specific skills like shooting a basketball and dribbling a soccer ball. “I just think it’s going to be a wonderful day for students that don’t always have the opportunity to compete in sports,” Mr. Doyle said. “I think that everybody’s really excited.”
Preparing Goshen’s athletes has been a districtwide effort. The physical education teachers at each of our schools have been working with Goshen’s athletes on the skills that they will be competing with in the Special Olympics this year. “Shout out to all the teachers in S.A.S., G.I.S. and the C. J. Hooker. They have been a big help in terms of practicing the skills,” Mr. Doyle said.
Along with coaching the students competing in this year’s events, Mr. Doyle is also the advisor of G.H.S. ‘s Kindness Club. In anticipation of the games, the Kindness Club made 160 pre-ordered t-shirts for students and staff, on top of donating proceeds from their pop-up shop to the Special Olympics.
“The Kindness Club has done a fantastic job,” Dr. Hendershot said. “Mr. Doyle and his students have solicited donations, and they’ve really just given their time. I think that’s what makes the event really special; having the students involved and, the staff members too.”