POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Special Olympics programs across the country give athletes with various disabilities the opportunity to compete. The Gate City Diamondbacks Special Olympics basketball team was lucky enough to compete against a totally new team: local law enforcement.
This year, program coordinator Kathy Walker said all five local law enforcement agencies were in attendence.
“These guys have really been looking forward to playing with the police officers,” Walker said. “Trying to get 30 men on board takes a lot of work!”
The game gives officers a chance to connect with community members and bond with the Special Olympic athletes.
“It’s about community and we want them to see that police officers aren’t scary people,” Walker added.
The Fort Hall Police have been invited for several years to participate in Gate City Diamondback athletics. “It’s just a great opportunity to come out and built rapport with the community,” said Tierre Johnson, Captain of the Fort Hall Police. “I love just playing and getting to know the athletes, see their personalities, people making baskets and getting excited about it.”
The Special Olympics programs include weekly golfing at Highland Golf Course, softball, bowling and more. Walker also said the humanity and true sportsmanship is a constant theme at special Olympics events.
“Last week at regional, our team was playing against another team that was quite a bit better than us, but the other team would catch the rebound and throw the ball back to our team members so they could shoot baskets,” she said. “It’s pretty awesome to watch.”
One special Olympian, Josh Skinner, said beating the police gave him a lot of confidence in his basketball skills. “They’re actually really tough competitors,” he said. “They’re also really fun because they seem nice on the inside, but they’re tough.”
Skinner is the newest member to the Gate City Diamondbacks team and said he’s loved being a part of this community. “I just get to be out and be active because most days I’m not very active, and I get to be out here,” he said. “I’ve been actually really good friends with [my teammates] them, and I think everyone on the team is really great. I like how we work together and make quite the team.”
The officers praised the Diamondbacks for their basketball skills, saying “Some of the players out here just shot from inside the half court and made a couple of shots, they’re amazing.”
Johnson also said last year there weren’t as many officers present, and that the continuing of these types of community games are a testimony of “progressing and moving in the right direction.”
The bleachers were packed Monday night for the exciting game. The Gate City Diamondbacks came out on top, with a win of 27-10 against the officers.
Skinner had one final message to people wondering about the Special Olympics: “We’re a team that’s special. People need to know that a lot of people have special needs. Just try to help them all.”
For more information about volunteering with the Special Olympics or to donate to local teams, visit their website https://www.specialolympics.org.
