The median age of participants at the 2025 TASC Sports Tournament was about 40 years old, said TASC Deputy Executive Director Alona Yorkshire, adding that most of the group likely didn’t grow up with the best special education in schools.
On Friday afternoon at Central Park in Saugus, around 180 TASC clients and staff competed in outdoor games.
“Many of them grew up in institutions as children,” Yorkshire said of the older clients of TASC, which is an acronym for The Adult Skills Center. “I’d say at least 30% of our clients didn’t actually grow up going to school. Talk about zero integration. They didn’t have any sports activities. It’s not like what we see today with children, where there’s a special education class in school. Most schools now are integrated. For many of them, coming to TASC was the first time they ever left either a house or an institution. Like, they’ve never been to a movie theater, they’ve never been to a mall, they’ve never been anywhere.”
TASC is a nonprofit organization that provides services to individuals with intellectual, developmental and mental health needs. Throughout the week, teams of TASC clients and staff faced off in basketball, kickball, soccer, bowling and cheer. Friday was what TASC called the All-Stars Finals Day, in which teams played the finals games and were awarded medals and trophies.
The last game played on Finals Day was a game of kickball. One of the final plays started with a fastball down the line toward home plate. The kicker sent the handball arching through the air to the far, far outfield, hitting the grass and rolling further out. The kicker ran the bases. Those watching went wild with applause and cheers.
According to Yorkshire, what’s best about the TASC Sports Tournament is that there’s no difference between the coaches and the clients.
“Everyone’s on an equal playing field,” Yorkshire said. “And that’s really what we’re striving for.”
Dennis Rutnam, TASC president and CEO, said that’s exactly the goal of the nonprofit TASC — to create a future in which all people live fully integrated and fulfilled lives.
He explained how the TASC Sports Tournament always brings out so much joy and accomplishment in those who participate.
“The definition of success is different for our group,” he said. “Small accomplishments mean a lot, and this event helps us recognize every client, no matter how they participated, whether it’s in an actual sport, or on our cheer squad, or even just cheering in the grandstands.”
When the games on Friday came to a close, everyone headed to the far corner of one of the fields at Central Park for the awards ceremony. Participants won medals and trophies.
Two MVP awards were presented to Jerimiah Pacheco of Lancaster and Niko De Guzman of the Santa Clarita Valley for their sportsmanship, helpfulness and good attitude during the games.
“I want to thank everybody who came and cheered me on,” Pacheco said upon receiving his award.
De Guzman said, “I want to thank my coach for helping me out.”
The crowd chanted “MVP” to the two winners. As their cheers echoed across Central Park, it was clear that every player, coach and supporter had shared in a victory far greater than medals.
For more information about TASC, go to TASCservices.org.
