Disabled athletes from San Benito County, Gilroy compete in
fifth annual Baler Gifted Games
The traditionally heated rivalry between Hollister and Gilroy
schools had a distinct spirit of sportsmanship last Friday as the
fifth annual Baler Gifted Games expanded to include nearly 150
students from San Benito and southern Santa Clara counties.
Gray skies gave way to brilliant sunshine as the Olympic-style
event kicked off at San Benito High School’s Andy Hardin Field.
Disabled athletes from San Benito County, Gilroy compete in fifth annual Baler Gifted Games
The traditionally heated rivalry between Hollister and Gilroy schools had a distinct spirit of sportsmanship last Friday as the fifth annual Baler Gifted Games expanded to include nearly 150 students from San Benito and southern Santa Clara counties.
Gray skies gave way to brilliant sunshine as the Olympic-style event kicked off at San Benito High School’s Andy Hardin Field.
The Baler band led the march-in of athletes, who waved to the crowd packed with high schools students whose teachers had brought them out to the event to cheer on the disabled participants.
“Let’s go Balers, let’s go!” echoed through the stadium as the SBHS contingent marched in prior to the pledge of allegiance and singing of the National Anthem.
Prior to her “Let the games begin” pronouncement, Principal Krystal Lomanto said that the event had drawn double the amount of participants that it had last year, when the formerly in-house games were expanded to include elementary and junior high schools from around the county.
“It was great, it was awesome,” said SBHS life skills teacher Ramona Trevino. “I’m getting nothing but good remarks from the Gilroy teachers and principals that came out.”
Students from preschool to high school attended the event, which featured running events, wheelchair races, the long jump, softball and Turbo Jav throwing competitions. Ninety-three of the athletes were from San Benito County and 55 were from Gilroy.
Eighth-graders from Sacred Heart and Spring Grove schools helped out during the games, measuring throws and timing runs for the participating athletes.
Tonya Large, a para-educator in the Aromas School resource department, said the three student-athletes from her school were having “a great time.”
“It’s tremendous,” she said of the event. “It teaches the students to be part of a team and it allows them to have fun, seeing that there are so many kids they can participate with.”
Gilroy High School special education teacher Sam Sauer said the 20 or so students he accompanied enjoyed themselves during their first trip to the competition.
“They were pumped during the opening ceremonies,” he said. “It’s the first year we’ve been invited and we definitely plan to come back.”
The Gilroy students trained for several weeks, running and practicing throwing Turbo Javs provided by San Benito High School.
“Our athletes have a sense of accomplishment and they are developing self-worth and pride for their school,” Sauer said. “They were proud to wear their Gilroy High School jersey.”
The Gifted Games began as an in-house activity designed to give SBHS’s disabled students a chance to compete in athletic events that normally were not available to them. Also, with no Special Olympics chapter in the county, Trevino, her fellow life skills teacher, Tania DeLeon, and advanced sports medicine trainer Dave Tari wanted to provide local students with an opportunity to train and compete in athletic events.
Trevino said the success of this year’s event means the Gilroy and San Benito County elementary and junior high schools will be invited back next year. She noted that organizers want the event to retain its local flavor, so it is unlikely to become a large, regional event.
“We would never turn anyone down, but we want to keep it in our area,” she said. “It’s important that it doesn’t get huge. What we have right now is good. It’s good to bring our two communities together.”
Community volunteers and local businesses contributed to the success of the event, Trevino said, as did grant support from The Health Trust of Silicon Valley.
“It was everything [the teachers] were hoping for and their kids were able to shine for the day,” she said.
Participating Schools
San Benito County:
– Rancho San Justo
– Calaveras
– Marguerite Maze
– Ladd Lane
– San Benito High School
– Cerra Vista
– Gabilan Hills
– Spring Grove
Gilroy:
– Gilroy High School
– Gilroy County High School
– South Valley Middle School
– Luigi Aprea Elementary School
– Las Animas
– Antonio Del Buono
– El Roble (preschool students)
