FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of Anna Maria Athletics Communications
PAXTON, Mass. — The Anna Maria College volleyball team welcomed 50 Special Olympics athletes from Special Olympics Massachusetts to the Fuller Center on Sunday, May 1st for an afternoon of drills, competition, and socialization.
Special Olympics Massachusetts teams from Center of Hope, ARC, and Shrewsbury participated in the clinic. The AMCAT volleyball team ran all of the drills, including stations for passing, setting, and serving, and then took to the sidelines as coaches during the six-on-six games.
"It feels so good to put a smile on their faces by playing volleyball together," said freshman and 2016 captainAmari King. "[Sunday's clinic] really inspired me to appreciate both my sport and the opportunity to share it with others."
Teammate and fellow captain Demi Carreiro added, "it was so rewarding to see the athletes love volleyball as much as we do."
The event was the brainchild of Anna Maria head coach Samantha Shomo and Matt Ruxton, the Vice President of Sports for Special Olympics Massachusetts. The duo worked together to coordinate both Fans in the Stands events sponsored by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) earlier this year.
"I am always looking for opportunities to get my student-athletes involved in the community. When Matt mentioned he had a growing volleyball league, we immediately began working towards a skills-focused clinic to help improve the strength of their league," said Shomo.
The event ties in with the NCAA Division III partnership with Special Olympics. The purpose of the partnership is to enhance the lives of Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes through a mutual learning experience; provide a platform for recognition of Special Olympics athletes and Division III student-athletes within their communities; and raise awareness of Special Olympics, its programs and services.
At the conclusion of a long day of volleyball, the Anna Maria student-athletes and the Special Olympics athletes huddled together to end the day in the same manner as the AMCATS do each practice—with an "AMCATS on three!" chant.