12 Blueprint
SPORTS
Feb. 24, 2017
Discovering the stories behind Special Olympics sports However, what began as a DGS program quickly The 2017 school-wide philanthropy grew as Transiproject is Special Olympics, a cause tion players were that is unique in that donations will invited to join, directly affect students here at DGS. and the team However, while many have heard of was merged with the D99 Hoops teams, most students the newly develare unaware of the growth, success oped DGN team. and impact of the local Special OlymFolsom describes pics program. this growth. The D99 Hoops program, currently “[The program] the most developed of the DGS Spehas really skySophomore Jeremiah Boatright plays alongside the D99 hoops team. cial Olympics sports, has been very rocketed over the successful in the past couple years. last 5 or 6 years,” Photo Courtesy of Derrick Gonzales Last year, the top team came in secFolsom said. “We ond in state, and they are looking for get to work more with the coaches at a championship win this season. The Transition and the coaches at DGN vidual,” Vitagliano said. “When that top two teams in the program have who participate too, so that was a big strategy is achieved, and [when] you already qualified for state and look step for our program, and then this see that smile upon their face, the reforward to the tournament in March. year we have so many students that ward to me is extremely gratifying.” D99 Hoops Coach and Special Ed we have added a 4th team.” The time and effort these coaches teacher Michael Folsom spoke of the The teams start practicing twice have put into training these athletes students’ excitement for the state a week in November and continue has certainly paid off; however, the tournament. through the winter. They also play in success of the Special Olympics pro“All the kids like just going down a couple tournaments, including the gram does not stop there. Sponsors and spending the night in a hotel at regional qualifier in January. and coaches are looking to add more ISU. Just being at the college and DGS students also volunteer as sports to our local program as early playing and seeing all these other student coaches. Junior Maddie Man- as this upcoming spring. kids play in a big tournament is very ganiello is one of the many who helps Folsom talks of the anticipated exciting for them,” Folsom said. out coaching games and practices. expansion of the program. The D99 Hoops MN (multi-needs) “The practices are two hours. They “Basketball is what we have now. athletes have an obvious passion for usually consist of warm-ups and some That’s very developed here, but we the game and program. In fact, while ice breakers, and then we do passare looking to expand with track this the team did not win state last year, ing drills and shooting and dribbling spring, maybe soccer next year and include bocce ball too,” Folsom said. Special Olympics coach and Special Ed teacher Kevin Ahrens continues to search for different sports to develop and get the kids involved in. Coaches hope the widened variety of sports will encourage even more students to get involved and benefit from their experience with Special Olympics. Not only has our Special Olympics program been expanding, but DGS has found ways to include MN students in a variety of activities. In fact, DGS has been officially acknowledged as a “Unified School.” Folsom explains what this title means. “To be a unified school, you have to have a certain level of involvement of students with disabilities and the general education population,” Folsom said. “There’s a lot of things that helped qualify us to become a unified school like the Pack the Place that we do and different events, but more recently we are developing our unified athletic program.” The D99 Hoops Special Olympics team two takes a group photo after winning a trophy Special Ed teacher Brett Wolf, who from a tournament. is in charge of “Project Unify,” ex Photo Courtesy of Derrick Gonzales plains the extent to which the program has been implemented at DGS our Special Olympics program still drills, and we usually end with game so far. walked away with a different award. play,” Manganiello said “Our unified basketball team con“A lot of our students in the multiSenior Alexa Vitagliano is another sists of six Special Olympic athletes needs program actually go down to student coach who helps out at Spehere at South, and a mixture of 25 ISU on a bus to watch,” Folsom said. cial Olympics practices. She explains general [education] students making “We actually won an award last year her role at practices and in games. up the rest of our unified team,” Wolf for the biggest cheering section. It “I feel one of my main responsibilisaid. would’ve made Superfans really ties is to bring fun and excitement to While basketball is the only sport proud.” the game along with demonstrating currently considered part of the proThe continued success of our MN good sportsmanship, teamwork and gram, Wolf is looking to expand the basketball teams can be accredited to stay focused on achieving their Project Unify in the near future. to the continued growth and developgoals,” Vitagliano said. “Hopefully, with enough involvement of the program. Vitagliano describes the challenges ment, we can even make many UniThe basketball program was origiand rewards of coaching athletes with fied Sports teams and expand to more nally started by Mike Dellamaria, disabilities. sports like unified bowling, unified a former DGS teacher and current “As a coach working with athletes bocce, [ect.]...Our plan is to roll out a administrator at the Transition Prothat have many different types of dis- unified soccer team starting next fall gram, where special needs students abilities, the challenge is to find what as well,” Wolf said. attend after high school graduation. strategy works best for each indiSeparate from both Special OlymBy Lauren Smith, Copy Editor
pics and our unified program, there are also MN students involved in general population IHSA sports such as swimming and bowling. That support means a lot to the MN population at DGS. The Special Olympics program and the unified school status here in Downers Grove has had a positive impact on the lives of countless disabled students in the past several years. Folsom explains the challenges these students face on a daily basis. “For a lot of our students, being involved in different things is very difficult. There is a lot of social anxiety, there is a lot of difficulty initiating getting involved, [and] there are a lot academic limitations and physical limitations,” Folsom said. However, the Special Olympics program has given them opportunities they never thought to be possible. “When we have pack the place[s], they all get pumped up and excited because the gym gets pretty packed. [They love] having the chance to do something involved in the school that the school really supports so well,” Folsom said. Vitagliano believes that the program has a significant positive influence on the lives of these athletes. “[Special Olympics] provides them with opportunities to enhance their self esteem, social skills, and assist them to achieve beyond what they feel their capabilities are,” Vitagliano said. Folsom agrees that the athletes he coaches get to experience things all athletes do. “They get to feel the ups and downs that any other athlete does. It’s part of how other athletes develop responsibility and they get the same things out of it in terms of making a commitment to something and working hard and learning those life skills,” Folsom said. Senior D99 Hoops athlete Philip Gonzales expressed his opinion on the program. “I love the games, and when I make baskets... at first I was hesitant about joining Special Olympics, but once I figured out how much fun it was, I was happy I joined,” Gonzales said. Ultimately, the Downers Grove Special Olympics program has made DGS proud. As the top two D99 Hoops teams prepare to take on the state tournament again in March, they continue to impress the stands with their teamwork and passion.
Coach Folsom and Phillip Gonzales poses after a game. Photo Courtesy of Derrick Gonzales