UCLA hosts Special Olympics program

From afar, the soccer tournament at North Athletic Field on
Saturday looked like any other ““ colorful jerseys dotted the
field for a day of sun-drenched athletic competition.

But at a closer look, one could tell the soccer games were
secondary to the camaraderie and playfulness of the Special
Olympics athletes and coaches, who were really there to have fun
and spend time together.

“Every Saturday is the highlight of my week,” said
Maya Narayanan, a director and third-year molecular, cell and
developmental biology student. “It’s all about the
athletes ““ I have so much fun spending time with
them.”

The UCLA-hosted tournament included 18 teams from six southern
California chapters.

“There are a lot of fun moments and amazing
memories,” said Torrence team-member Michael Guibor. “I
like the friendships I make here.”

The UCLA Special Olympics program entered two “unified
teams,” one comprised of both players and coaches, and the
other a players-only team, into the tournament.

The UCLA program is entirely student-run, with four directors
and over a dozen coaches, and serves developmentally disadvantaged
youths from the South Central Los Angeles area.

“The athletes are absolutely the most amazing people I
have ever met,” said director Emily Guglielmo, a fourth-year
civil engineering student. “Sometimes I think I get more out
of this than they do.”

Along with three yearly soccer tournaments, the chapter
participates in other sports such as basketball, tennis, swimming
and softball.

Coaches emphasize learning athletic skills and improvement, but
are mostly there to make sure everyone is having fun with the
program.

“I really liked playing competitive sports when I was
younger and I really like giving (the athletes) the chance to do
the same,” said Jeff Wright, a coach and third-year physics
and economics student.

“It’s really cool if when practice is over, they are
sad to leave because you know you really make a difference in their
lives,” he said.

The Special Olympics serves over one million mentally disabled
people in over 150 countries, a number that is expected to double
in the next few years, according to the Special Olympics Web
site.

“Children and adults who participate in Special Olympics
develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater
self-confidence and a more positive self-image,” the Web site
said.

Many of the athletes echoed sentiments of a positive competitive
environment that also offered friendship and community.

“(Special Olympics) gives me something to do,” said
Fred Coleman, an athlete from the UCLA chapter. “It keeps me
young.”