On Friday, Oct. 17, Westerville and New Albany’s Special Olympics teams went head to head in a friendly but competitive game of flag football on Westerville South’s football field.

“It’s [the Special Olympics] giving everyone that doesn’t have an opportunity to play sports in a normal varsity environment a chance to play,” Jason Anthony, coach for the New Albany team, said. 

Special Olympics allows for dozens of neurodivergent people to do something they might have never had the opportunity to do in high school: play a sport, and be cheered on by friends and families in the stands. 

Coordinator for Special Olympics, Alice WIlson, when asked about her favorite part of the Special Olympics, said, “The camaraderie, and the friendships and… the people helping other people [..,] we do bowling, and we have some athletes that are in wheelchairs or can’t actually throw the ball to bowl, but they use a ramp instead, and we have athletes who step up and help them get the ball […] they’re there for each other.”

Player for the New Albany team, Matthew Scamm, shared his favorite part about participating in the Special Olympics. “People. The people. The people are so nice.  Coaches are wonderful; it’s easy to make friends […] that’s pretty much it,” Scam said. 

“It was a really good time,” South football player Elliott Bakirci said. He enjoyed subbing in for the New Albany team when one of their players was unfortunately injured.

Another player, Evan Andrews, said his favorite moment was going one on one with another player named Zack Cobb, and catching a touchdown. 

Another player, London Vickroy, said his favorite moment was ringing the bell after the game was over. “It was super special […] [it] was a special moment for them.”