Special Olympics cancels basketball, postpones Summer Games

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First, Special Olympics Indiana Jackson County’s basketball teams had their seasons cut short because of the nationwide coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, the county program won’t have athletes competing in the Area 2 Games on May 2 in Seymour and Summer Games from June 12 to 14 at Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

Following a recent announcement that all Special Olympics Indiana activities were postponed through March 31, President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Mohler announced Monday the international organization has strongly advised the state to extend that through at least May 31.

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He said he agreed with the recommendation, so all practices, competitions and events involving athletes are postponed.

Because the necessary opportunities for training and preparation will no longer be available to competitors this spring, the Summer Games will not go on as planned, he said.

“As government officials and health care experts across our state, our nation and the world continue to explore ways to combat the spread of COVID-19, we all must do our best to be a part of the solution,” Mohler said in a news release.

Special Olympics Indiana exists to break down barriers for people with intellectual disabilities and bring people together through year-round programs and events centering on sports.

“Doing our part means disrupting our typically full calendar by postponing or canceling events and by discouraging the people we serve from taking part in any and all group activities during this difficult time,” Mohler said.

He said he made the difficult decision with support from the state’s board of directors and leadership team and in accordance with the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and Indiana State Department of Health.

“We are currently exploring options for rescheduling or hosting a condensed version of our beloved Summer Games later in the year, but those plans are uncertain and will be subject to our ability to safely resume activity in a timely manner without endangering the health of our athletes and volunteers,” Mohler said.

More details will be communicated when available, he said.

“In the meantime, rest assured that we will be monitoring the situation closely and will make every effort to resume our regularly scheduled programming as soon as possible,” he said.

Jackson County’s four basketball teams were set to play March 21 in the sectional at Hauser High School, and the program planned to host the Area 2 Games for track and field and horseshoes and have athletes compete in the Summer Games.

Plus, the county program has a unified fitness club that meets weekly, and it had planned to participate in Parking Lot Pickers and conduct a golf scramble as fundraisers in April. Those are on hold for now, too.

“While I understand the need to cancel or postpone, it saddens me,” County Coordinator Crystal Ackeret said. “We have so many people, athletes and volunteers that look forward to meetings, practices and walking club. We all get to catch up with each other and brainstorm ideas. Now, all that is on hold. Hopefully, we can use social media to find ways to interact with each other and keep our athletes active.”

Mary Carlson, a member of the county management team, said she was looking forward to her daughter Claire’s favorite sport, track and field.

“I’m always proud of our athletes no matter what sport they’re participating in,” she said. “They put their heart and soul into what they do, and they learn to play as a team. It may take a few practices and games, but they learn to play as a team. They support each other and cheer each other on.”

Parent Amber White said her son, Bill, loved being a part of the basketball team. That was his first Special Olympics sport.

“Some may not realize this, but with Bill’s condition, this is more or less physical therapy for him,” she said. “It’s a use it or lose it situation, and this is way more fun than physical therapy. Practice may have been once a week, but that didn’t stop the motivation for him to dribble a ball at home or shoot hoops with his older brothers.”

Volunteer Chloe Shepherd said her favorite thing about Special Olympics is seeing all of the friendships formed between athletes, coaches and volunteers.

“I can’t wait to see everyone again,” she said.

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