The Hart High School football field and gymnasium were transformed into a hub of basketball and bocce on Saturday for the Santa Clarita Spring Games hosted by the Special Olympics of Southern California.
Teams from across Southern California, including Kern County, the Antelope Valley and Burbank and Glendale, came together for a day of friendly competition, to celebrate inclusion and community support for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
“Whether you take gold medals or not, whether you come in first or not, the fact that you guys showed up, you guys prepared, are willing to compete already makes you a winner,” Mark Crear said during the opening ceremony.
Crear is a former Olympic medalist and served as the master of ceremonies for the event. “Today is about celebrating each and every athlete here. Your efforts, determination, teamwork, and heart inspire all of us.”
During the opening ceremony, all teams were introduced individually before the passing of the torch to officially welcome the games. Approximately 275 athletes of all ages participated in basketball and bocce throughout the event.
“Today is about celebrating each and every athlete here. Your efforts, determination, teamwork, and heart inspire all of us,” Crear added.
As the teams headed off to their scheduled games, Maritza Alvarado, parent and coach volunteer, was assisting with the Santa Clarita Sharks, for whom Alvarado’s son Jorel was playing.
Jorel, who has Down syndrome, began participating in the special Olympics when he was 2 years old and since then, it’s been a “community where they can meet themselves,” Alvarado said. “This is the highlight of the year for them.”
As a mother, seeing Jorel come out of his shell during games and with other participants is something that she deeply admires about the event, she said, because “in the world, unfortunately the doors are not always open for a person with disabilities so this is the way for them to explore opportunities, develop skills, in an environment that is safe.”
