Competition Season Is Here!

Special Olympics Texas competition season is in full swing! 

On Saturday, September 3rd, Special Olympics Texas Area 13 Central Texas and Area 20 San Antonio hosted their 2022 Softball Tournament at Alva Jo Fischer Softball Complex in San Antonio, Texas. Opening Ceremonies kicked off the event at 9:00 am with competitions to follow. We had two teams from Austin; the McBeth Warriors and Marbridge Longhorns, and two teams from San Antonio; San Antonio Fire and Best Friends. San Antonio Fire’s Unified team also came to compete against the Austin McBeth Warriors Unified team. 

Area 13 Program Director Shane Sharp was eager to kick off the competition season and bring together teams from two areas. He ultimately wanted to provide our athletes with the opportunity to interact with other teams within the Special Olympics Texas community in a fun and competitive way. Although Shane stated that the entire competition was incredible to watch, there was one moment that stuck out to him above the rest. “That moment was watching a player from San Antonio Fire erupt with passion after she landed on home plate to celebrate her inside-the-park home run. Big or small, it is always great to see athletes excited about their accomplishments and watch their teammates celebrate with them. At the end of the day, nothing beats getting to watch the joy of the athletes!”

Shane had the help of Marketing and Communications Intern Sarah Mascardo with capturing special moments throughout the tournament. Sarah wanted to highlight the coming together of two areas in celebration of inclusion and healthy competition. She described the event as “rewarding” as she was able to experience an inspiring level of sportsmanship from all players and Unified Partners. “Constant applause and encouragement were coming from each player—both on and off the field,” says Sarah.

Area, regional, state, and nationwide competitions and events would not be possible without the generosity of our volunteers and sponsors. We had many volunteers show up on Saturday morning eager to serve, and we could not be more grateful for their unwavering support. Volunteer Services Manager Noah Willoughby stated that “the softball competition couldn't have happened without the help of all of the volunteers. We had 67 volunteers throughout the whole event to help with set-up, running scoreboards, announcing, and being fans in the stands. Thank you to the University of Incarnate World Softball team, Security Services Federal Credit Union, and Nike for coming out and taking over the event!” We are so proud of all of our athletes and Unified Partners for their incredible performances! Thank you to all who came out to support our athletes in this unique opportunity to bring together athletes from different areas. Providing our athletes with meaningful sporting experiences is our goal here at Special Olympics Texas, and the 2022 Area 13 and 20 Softball Tournament accomplishes that goal. 

Thank you Sarah Mascardo for these great photos!