Spirited games

Tuesday, February 16, 1999

Spirited games

Special Olympians practice at UCLA every two weeks to make sure
they stay fit and have fun

By Amy Tay

Daily Bruin Contributor

It’s 9 a.m. on Saturday – a relatively quiet time on campus. But
while the rest of the school sleeps, recovering from the toils of
Friday night, the Rieber basketball courts are lively with the
happy shouts and cheers of the UCLA Special Olympics.

"It’s pretty funny because it’s all dead and there we are, loud
and waking everyone up," said Ronnie Jordan, one of the program’s
directors and a fourth-year neurobiology and American literature
and culture student.

The special olympics program started 20 years ago with a
collaboration of Renee Klein, head of special education at Dorsey
High School in Watts, and Brian Tan, then a UCLA student.

They saw a need for public outreach programs for the
developmentally disabled in low-socioeconomic areas and realized
that the facilities and human resources here could fill the
need.

The program they created here is different from typical special
olympics programs in that it is not geared toward children; most of
the participants have graduated from high school already.

Also, the main focus is not competition. Though there is an area
meet at Inglewood High School each May, only a handful of the
program’s participants actually compete.

"We don’t train, per se, for competition, (but instead) we try
to work on their skills, their hand-eye coordination and their
fitness," Jordan said.

Aimed toward a low-income audience, the program attracts most of
its participants from South Central Los Angeles and neighboring
Watts. A bus is also provided by the program, since most of the
athletes have no other transportation.

When the athletes step off their bus at the top of Bruin Walk,
they are greeted by about 30 enthusiastic volunteer coaches.

For both the coaches and the athletes, these practices, which
take place every other Saturday, are a much anticipated event.

"I love UCLA. I love being out here. It gives me encouragement
and keeps my life going," said John Mitchell, one of the
athletes.

"It is the highlight of my two weeks," said Jessica Sison, one
of the directors and a third-year neuroscience student, regarding
the biweekly practices.

After hugs and playful banter are exchanged, the group makes its
way to the basketball courts for three hours of fun, fitness and
friendship.

First on the agenda is warm-up: calisthenics and a series of
jumping jacks. Next, the athletes jog a few laps around the court
as the coaches run among them and cheer them on. Then, they split
up into two groups; one group plays basketball while the other opts
for tennis.

All the while, high fives and words of encouragement – which the
athletes seem to appreciate – are generously given out by the
coaches.

"They (the coaches) make you feel good, like you’re doing
something right," said Ebonie Seley, an athlete participating in
the program.

"The coaches are great. They’re really nice and they help you
out by cheering you on," added Richard Fernandez, another
athlete.

Later on, the group makes its way down to Drake Field for either
track, soccer, softball or football, depending on which athletes
are present.

The coaches maintain their motivational attitudes on the field,
with every step taken in a race, every kick of the ball, every pass
caught or fumbled applauded by all.

Although their encouragement may seem excessive, it is a
necessity with the special olympics.

"Some of them (the athletes) you really need to motivate," Sison
said.

"They need a lot of encouragement from the coaches," Jordan
added.

But the coaches’ responsibilities extend beyond giving out
praise.

Depending on the amount of experience, their tasks range from
taking care of the athletes and keeping track of them, to running
the drills and participating in the games.

The coaches admit that working with the developmentally disabled
can be challenging at times.

"There are some athletes who are very hard to work with and
there’s only a few people who can work with them," Jordan said.

"It’s frustrating when you tell them over and over and they
still don’t get it," she added.

Despite the occasional frustration, all the coaches find it
gratifying to work with the athletes.

"It’s definitely hard to get up on Saturday morning, but it’s
definitely worth it to work with them. It has its intrinsic
rewards," said Vera Yung, a coach and second-year psychology
student.

One of the biggest rewards for the coaches is the bonds they
develop with the participants.

"There’s a lot of mutual caring between the athletes and the
coaches,’ said Brian McCormick, one of the program’s directors and
a third-year American literature and culture student.

"It’s a very friendship-oriented thing. You have connections
with every athlete, all the coaches," Jordan added.

The athletes in turn acknowledge this "mutual caring."

"My favorite part of coming is the people. I’m friends with
everyone," said Fred Coleman, one of the athletes.

"They’re like family. That’s another reason I like special
olympics," Mitchell said.

The coaches also enjoy watching the athletes develop both their
athletic and social skills. According to Jordan, some of the
athletes have truly come out of their shells.

Besides being a source of enjoyment, the special olympics serves
a very important role in increasing the athletes’ physical
well-being.

It provides them with one of their only opportunities to
exercise, stay fit, and battle obesity and heart problems, two
major health problems for the developmentally disabled.

"For most of them, this is their only activity during the week,"
Sison said.

The directors are looking to expand the program to include more
events and professional clinics for the coaches, but they are very
limited by funding and spend most of their allocations busing the
athletes.

"It’s hard getting money," McCormick said.

In spite of their funding problems, the coaches and the
directors still manage to make the program a truly special activity
for the the participants as well as for themselves.

"It’s a big part of my life. It’s just so fun. I think about it
and I smile." Jordan said.Photos by LEAH SWALLEY

Fred Coleman, left, is blocked by Richard Fernandez during
practice for the UCLA-sponsored Special Olympics team.

Second-year economics student Elhahm Mackani, left, teaches
Gerry Carr how to swing the tennis racket.

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