Striving for inclusion: Special Olympics spotlights students with exceptionalities

Published 3:34 pm Monday, October 23, 2023

The Jeff Davis Parish Special Olympics program is providing opportunities for students with exceptionalities to showcase their athletic skills while teaming up with students without disabilities.

“Our students with exceptionalities have so many talents we want a platform and time for them to come out and shine and for our communities to see the talented students we have in Jeff Davis Parish and to cheer them on and give them the attention they deserve,” Jeff Davis Parish Supervisor of Special Services Jeremy Fuselier said.

Now in its second year, the program is working to provide more inclusive sporting events for students with exceptionalities and to get more local communities involved in the program.

“We are trying to build an inclusive culture, not only in our schools, but our communities and the entire parish,” Fuselier said.

Every Special Olympics event is inclusive with students with exceptionalities partnering with their non-disabled peers to build teamwork, develop social skills and communication and build an inclusive culture without our schools, he said.

The goal of the Special Olympics is to give students with exceptionalities the opportunity to take part in athletic events and connect with students without disabilities, he said.

“It’s a perfect opportunity for inclusion,” Fuselier said. “Our focus is on the students’ abilities and not their disabilities.”

Athletic events including horseshoes, bocce ball, track and field events and archery, are aimed at promoting inclusive and encouraging teamwork between the students, he said.

The events allow the students to work on gross motor skills, manipulative skills, balance skills, as well as work on social, emotional and social skills by working as a team with their non-disabled peers and community volunteers.

“What’s really exciting about these events is that we make them an inclusive event so that we have general education students partnering with students with exceptionalities to build an inclusive culture within our school and our communities,” Fuselier said. “It’s not just students with exceptionalities competing, they are going to have teams of students working together.”Special Olympics Coordinator and adaptive physical education teacher Grant Wild and a team of about 30 volunteers oversee the Olympics each year. Events are held three times during the school year.

This year’s competitions kicks off with the 2nd annual horseshoes and bocce ball event, 8 a.m.-noon Oct. 27 at the Welsh High School football field. The event is open to students in grades 3-12 with exceptionalities

A second event is scheduled for Jan. 26 at the Jennings High School gym with activities allowing students in pre-kindergarten – second grade to work on their motor skills.

The final event, will be track and field March 15 at Lake Arthur High School for students in grades  3-12. An archery competition is being added to this year’s track and field event.

“We try to have events that target all our different age groups,” Fuselier said. “We also want to try to use our creativity to add new games and new forms of friendly competition for our students to have a good time and to work on their gross motor skills, social skills and communication skills.”Organizers encourage schools to send their cheerleaders and clubs to the event and parents and other spectators are urged to fill the bleachers and cheer the students on as they are competing.

The Special Olympics program is made possible by donations from the annual Sheriff Ivy Woods Golf Tournament. The funds are used to “make the events extra special” by providing t-shirts, awards and purchasing equipment for the events, Fuselier said.

“Without these donations it would be a challenge to put it on at the level we are doing it,” he said.

All events are open free to the public and volunteers are needed.

For more information contact Fuselier at jeremy.fuselier@jdpsbk12.org or call 337-824-3522.