It was a memorable day, on Feb. 24, for many families as they watched their children participate in the Special Olympics basketball skills competition at Cuellar Community Center. It was also a unique and eye-opening day for 20 Spurs Sports & Entertainment staff members, who had the opportunity to help with the competition.
The volunteer POSSE (People of Spurs Sports & Entertainment) helped with on-court activities while supporting the athletes through the skills stations and helped with the award ceremony following the competition.
Evelyn Merrell has volunteered with the Special Olympics for 26 years and this was her first opportunity to work with the POSSE.
“The POSSE is off the charts,” Merrell said. “What was so wonderful was their immediate acceptance of our athletes and the immediate understanding of what’s going on. You can tell by the look on their faces from everyone who volunteered today that they genuinely wanted to be there.”
There were over 300 athletes that participated during the two-day event and competed in three skill stations (dribbling, passing and shooting). The dribbling station tested how quickly the competitor can dribble up and down the court between the sidelines. The passing station tested how accurately an athlete can pass the ball into a set target on the wall. The shooting station tested their accuracy on shooting on either an eight or 10-foot basket.
Jelma Booker’s, son, Hercules has been a long-time competitor in the Special Olympics. He has competed in basketball, track and field, softball and bowling since he was seven-years-old. Booker relishes these events because of the impact it has on her son’s life.
“He’s always talking about it and wanting to get prepared for it,” she said. “It has been in his heart to win since he was little. I think he really enjoys it and it builds up his self-esteem. I know a lot people think that these kids don’t have self-esteem, but they do and he does. He really wants to succeed and do well.”
Throughout the competition, the Special Olympic athletes expressed their excitement with the new found help and showed sportsmanship while interacting with the POSSE. Their big smiles and cheerful personalities made the event special for everyone involved.
Rolla Bradley, a Partnership Sales Associate with SS&E was happy to volunteer and make a difference on an athlete’s life.
“The athletes were super excited to be competing,” Bradley said. “You could tell how much it meant to the athletes that others were invested in seeing them succeed. Just seeing their smiles and the sense of accomplishment on their faces, I was honored.”
The event was a big success for the Special Olympics and POSSE as both organizations look forward to working together again for a greater cause.