SUNY Fredonia students engage with special needs students from three local school districts.
The inaugural Special Olympics Competition at SUNY Fredonia was an overwhelming success, engaging special needs students ifrom local schools.
“It was awesome, very fun and rewarding, and everyone loved,” beamed Hannah Retzer, president of the Special Olympics Club that conducted the April 27 event at Steele Hall fieldhouse and the nearby turf athletic field. She’s also a member of the Blue Devil women’s soccer team.
About 30 special needs students from Dunkirk, Fredonia and Silver Creek, NY, high schools visited six stations that offered different activities or games, such as bocce, soccer and basketball. There was also kite-making and a Zumba dance party highlighted by music furnished by disk jockey Alon Haimovitz, a senior Criminal Justice major, with a minor in Political Science, from Herzliya, Israel.
Our purpose is to create an inclusive environment for everyone; we want to develop friendship, physical fitness and [for everyone] to gain confidence through participation in sports and community activities.” – Hannah Retzer
SUNY Fredonia students, faculty and University Police officers volunteered throughout the four-hour event. They staffed the various stations and guided special needs students between the stations.
Instruction by SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Michael Jabot included actually making and coloring kites and, since there was plenty of wind, successfully launching them into flight.
Members of the School of Music’s Music Therapy Club lead interactive singing that included songs such as “There She Goes,” by the La’s, and others focused on interests expressed by individual special needs students. Little shakers handed out served as musical instruments. All students joined together to sing at the event’s finale.
University Police gave information on bicycle safety and demonstrated safe-riding practices using bikes brought by the officers.
“Definitely a great event, especially for a kick-off,” agreed Zach Zentz, the club’s vice president and first-year student majoring in Criminal Justice from Dunkirk, NY. “It put our name out there. These schools now know we’re established and are looking forward to more events in the future that we will put on for them.”
“Our purpose is to create an inclusive environment for everyone; we want to develop friendship, physical fitness and [for everyone] to gain confidence through participation in sports and community activities,” explained Ms. Retzer, a sophomore Early Childhood/Childhood Education major from Getzville, NY.
“We want to also create memories that will last a lifetime,” she added.
A ringing endorsement from a Dunkirk High School student leaves no doubt.
As Retzer was speaking to the crowd, “One student took the microphone and told me that he was going to remember this Sunday forever, that he had so much fun.”
Mission accomplished!
The genesis of the club goes back to Mr. Zentz’s sophomore year at Dunkirk High School, where he helped pioneer a Unified Sports program to bring together people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Bocce, volleyball and basketball were among sports the program hosted. He’s also a member of the Blue Devil baseball team.
Definitely a great event, especially for a kick-off. It put our name out there. These schools now know we’re established and are looking forward to more events in the future that we will put on for them.” – Zach Zentz
Zentz’s Unified Sports advisers – Dunkirk teachers Jill Domenico and Megan Iairvey, and Kristin Tomaszewski, of Fredonia High School – urged him to continue the Unified Sports concept at SUNY Fredonia.
Zentz, Retzer and Brelyn Tyler, a senior Childhood Education major, with a minor in History, from Liverpool, NY, formed the Special Olympics Club last fall. Its membership has since grown to 50.
Expanding programs is on the club’s agenda for 2024-2025 and beyond.
“Our first event for high school-age students gave us a feel for things, but we want to open it up to all age groups next year,” Retzer said. That could potentially include special needs students in elementary grades as well and the special needs population after they’ve left high school.
Another idea is to attract student-athletes at SUNY Fredonia to conduct clinics in their respective sport for special needs students.
Another idea is to attract student-athletes at SUNY Fredonia to conduct clinics in their respective sport for special needs students.
Young adults with special needs may, Rentz explains, “have no place to interact with people, lack [access to] an institution to help them or a place for them to go have fun, some place for these people to have a good time and interact with people.”
