The name, format and location of the event have changed over the years.
There were even a couple of years the event wasn’t able to be held.
Then this year, Mother Nature tried to wreak havoc on some of the plans.
Through it all, Seymour Community School Corp. has remained determined to do what it takes to offer this annual event that special education students, their peers, their teachers and their families all look forward to.
Seymour-Jackson Elementary School preschoolers participated in their own Young Champions track and field event May 5 in the school’s gymnasium, and kindergartners through fifth-graders from Jackson, Seymour-Redding, Margaret R. Brown and Emerson elementary schools were supposed to unite May 12 at Seymour High School’s Bulleit Stadium for a big event.
Weather wasn’t favorable that day, and it was moved to May 16, but that was called off, too. Physical education teacher Sharon Wood then worked with the schools to host their own events, and those recently were completed.
“Everybody really worked as a big team to make it happen for our students,” she said. “Our Young Champions in our buildings mean the world to us, and this is a day where we can celebrate their success. We have the opportunity to have peer coaches get involved hand in hand and work with these students.”
The two years it was canceled due to the COVID-pandemic, she said kids were crying, and it was devastating. The meet returned in 2022, and then there were the challenges this year.
“We knew that if the weather didn’t cooperate, we were going to do everything we can in our power to do that,” Wood said. “The kids have practiced for eight to 10 weeks at their school buildings with their peer coaches getting to know each other better. It was really important that we were able to compete and have that day of not only competition but friendship with each other.”
Young Champions is a partnership with Special Olympics Indiana that promotes servant leadership among the peers while changing their lives as well as the lives of those with intellectual disabilities.
Once students are in middle school and high school, the program name is Champions Together.
Seymour has been part of the program since 2016.
For the preschool event at Jackson, there were separate sessions for the morning and afternoon preschool classes. A student was selected to carry the Special Olympics Flame of Hope and lead their classmates into the gym.
The Seymour Young Marines presented the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and Special Olympics athlete oath were recited and “The Star-Spangled Banner” was played.
Then it was time for the athletes to compete in standing long jump, basketball throw, tennis ball throw, 25-meter dash and 25-meter hurdles. Their peer coaches were right there with them.
After each event, the athletes received a gold, silver or bronze medal or a ribbon for their efforts.
“Originally, they started outside with the larger group at the high school, and that was overwhelming, so we were able to keep them in their building, get both an opportunity for the A.M. group to have a time and the P.M. group to have a time, and it worked out great,” Wood said.
Preschooler Timothy Owens smiled as he held a medal and a ribbon after competing in standing long jump and hurdles.
His grandparents, Mona and David Owens, were there to watch him and see his excitement.
“I love it,” Mona said. “It’s awesome to let them come out and do this together, especially the little ones that just don’t really get to do the involvement. It means a lot. Just to able to watch the smiles on their faces makes me happy.”
For the kindergartners through fifth-graders, each school had its own Young Champions meet with events including standing long jump, running long jump, softball throw, basketball throw, hurdles, 25-meter dash and 50-meter dash.
At Emerson, third-grader Maila Guevara earned a gold medal in standing long jump and placed second in hurdles. She liked running fast and jumping.
“Everybody is cheering for me,” she said, smiling, as a large crowd of family members and students watched from the sideline.
Classmate Ian Zarate-Gibson did the same two events, earning a ribbon in hurdles and a silver medal in standing long jump. He said it was good to get exercise.
Fourth-grader Leona Chambers was their peer coach.
“During practices, you get to see all of the SOAR kids,” she said of the special education class at the school. “Their smiles are so big, and everybody just has fun.”
Seeing them compete in front of a crowd and earn awards was exciting.
“It makes me happy,” Chambers said.
Wood said watching the athletes compete is special.
“I get nothing but absolute joy,” she said. “I cannot tear the smile off my face when I see them running down, waving their arms, smiling from ear to ear, and they do such a good job in the events. It makes me real happy the things that we practiced that they are carrying that over into competition. The smiles out there are priceless. I just can’t stop grinning.”
She said it’s a great experience for the peer coaches, too.
“It’s just a fact of learning to be kind, learning to be accepting, learning that not everybody has to think in the same way, how can I be a friend to different types of personalities, different ability levels, and our peers, they just figure it out,” she said. “There’s no textbook. There’s no meeting. There’s no manual that I say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to do this.’ They are just there. They get to make decisions. They have to do a little bit of trial and error.”
By the end of it, Wood said the athletes and peer coaches become best friends.
“They pass each other in the hallways, they are smiling, waving, kind of giggling at each other,” she said. “Nothing else warms your heart more than to see that little interaction with your peers and your athletes.”
By competing in Young Champions, Wood said her hope is it’s a springboard to launch the students into joining the Special Olympics program in Jackson County. That’s for individuals ages 8 and up with an intellectual disability, and sports training and competitions are offered year-round.
In Jackson County, sports offered include track and field, bocce, softball, corn toss, bowling and basketball. Other sports could be added as interest arises.
“There’s something out there for everybody, and our program in Jackson County is just amazing, and I would love for our families and parents to not only try some of the running activities like we did, but there are so many other sports,” Wood said. “I just want our families to know that’s available to them.”