Special Olympics offer ribbons, hugs for competitors

Moms are tasked with a monumental job of teaching their kids so many important rules about life and while all of those rules are important to some extent, none left a more endearing mark in my mind than my mom’s list of things to remember when serving as a substitute teacher so many years ago.

Mary Ellen Goodman was a teacher; one who wanted to help youngsters with special needs, returning to college to get her Masters in Special Education. My briefing before leading her students for an afternoon at Eisenhower High School started and ended with this simple comment; “my students will ask for a hug when they leave at the end of the day.”

They didn’t ask for a hug, they asked for several hugs.

Friday morning it was impossible not to think about mom, Melva Jo Garrett, Anna Claire Kuchta and every teacher who has either worked, or is working with Special Education programs in Southwest Oklahoma. Class was conducted Friday at the Lawton High School Dr. Charles Green Memorial Athletic Field where athletes from Lawton Public Schools, Cache, Comanche, Anadarko and Bishop competed in the Region 4 Special Olympics track and field competition.

Once again, hundreds of volunteers showed up to conduct the competition, cheer on the competitors, serve snacks, drinks and lunch and hand out the ribbons and other awards.

Karen Granger, the Director of Competition, took a break before the action started to talk about the event.

“We have 225 entered in the track and field competition and we have 108 in the gym competing,” Granger said. “We are down just a little but we have a lot of athletes ready to go. This is my 29th season and we always have a good event because of the volunteers and the sponsors.”

The event started with the opening ceremonies including the Olympic Fanfare that was played by the Lawton High School Band. The Olympic Torch arrived at the LHS track  carried by James Goodwin of Lawton Prime and accompanied by the Lawton Police, LPS Police and the Lawton Fire Department.

The Lawton High JROTC presented the colors and the LHS Choir sang the national anthem. Great Plains Area 4 Director Donna Sparks offered the official opening and shortly thereafter the competition began.

“This is my 37th year helping with the Special Olympics,” long-time assistant coach and administrator Melvin Hoskins said. “It is just a great feeling to come out here and see these young people compete. It’s always fun to see their faces.”

Volunteers help in many ways including Cache wrestling coach Jimbo Smith who was all smiles after being named the Oklahoma Coaches Association Region 4 Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year. His role was to drive the bus to get the Cache athletes and coaches to LHS.

As has been the case for years, Fort Sill had a large delegation of volunteers on hand led by Maj. Lamar Shields.

“We have volunteers from the 30th Air Defense Artillery, 428th Field Artillery, 1st FSB, and the Marine detachment,” Maj. Shields said. “I think we have about 60 total personnel here today doing a wide assortment of jobs.”

While the volunteers are there to support the competitors, sometimes those roles are reversed.

It was hard not to hear the booming voice of Jessie Ellis as he kept his LHS boys motivated as they competed in the softball throw. Most of the throws were rather modest but when Michael Stoner stepped up he sent the measuring crew scrambling with a throw of 20 meters — yes the Army was plotting the distances — or 65 feet.

Ellis, who is a personnel care assistant with the LHS Special Education program, was enjoying every throw and celebrating with the athletes. In his case, the athletes were giving him a much-needed boost of enthusiasm; they were his support system.

“I was fighting cancer,” Ellis said. “I had to quit work for a time but it’s now in remission. That allowed me to get back with my students. I just love my job. I had retired from the Army and this job working with these young people is good medicine for me. Their energy is something that keeps me going.”

While the teachers and assistants are there for their students, in this case the students are there for Ellis as he fought cancer.

“It means so much for me to have these kids in my life,” he said. “Being out here today with them brings joy to my life.”

Everyone faces twists and turns in their lives and while these teaches and assistants are there for their students, sometimes the tables are turned and the student is there to provide support for their teacher.

Friday it was easy to see why these special educators so love their jobs. The hugs don’t put gas in your car or food in the fridge, but they sure make life more rewarding.