Victory for all: Cowboys host fourth annual camp for special needs children

Published 6:43 am Tuesday, July 29, 2025

While it won’t be the official opening of training camp, McNeese players and coaches will put on a show for a very important part of their community this evening inside Navarre Stadium.

For the fourth straight season, the Cowboys will host Victory Day at 5 p.m.

It is a special one-day camp for children with special needs, offering them the opportunity to play on the field that McNeese calls home.

Former head coach Gary Goff started it and has been a big hit with participants and parents from all over the area. Head coach Matt Viator, who returns to the Cowboy sidelines after a nine-season absence, elected to keep the event going.

“I’m happy to hear that Victory Day, Cowboy Bag Bingeaux, and many other things remain a part of the program,” said Goff, who was let go after three seasons last December. “We love our Lake Charles Community.”

The camp provides kids who are cognitively and physically impaired, between the ages of 8 and 18, the opportunity to play football or cheer while participating in several activities that resemble those of a Cowboy game day.

Children who would otherwise never get to play on the field have a chance to run the football, score touchdowns, and hear their names called out over the public address system. It has become a big part of the opening days of camp.

In the past, campers were paired with a McNeese player, who became their buddy for the day and introduced them to new friends afterward.

“Victory Day is one of my favorite days of the year,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “With a son who is on the spectrum, this event is very close to my heart and has come to mean a lot to me.

“I truly appreciate Coach V for continuing this tradition and look forward to it continuing to grow and positively impact more families every year. It is one of my favorite days of the year.”

McNeese is expecting more than the record 80-plus that attended last year’s camp, which has also been a hit with the Cowboys themselves. It has given players a chance to give back to the community that supports them and gives them a little perspective as well.

Reed Boyd, a junior tight end from Barbe High School, said the players get just as much out of the day.

“It is great to see the smiles on the faces of these kids,” Boyd said last year. “It shows us just how blessed we are to be able to play football.”

The event is open to the public. McNeese officially begins training camp Wednesday morning with 116 players expected to take part in the first practice.

McNeese will open the season at home on August 30 when the Cowboys host Louisiana College at 6 p.m.