Games to include students from ages 2 to 21
The fourth annual Baler Gifted Games, an event that allows young
people with disabilities the opportunity to compete in sports and
games at San Benito High School, is expanding its scope this year
to include students from throughout the county.
Games to include students from ages 2 to 21
The fourth annual Baler Gifted Games, an event that allows young people with disabilities the opportunity to compete in sports and games at San Benito High School, is expanding its scope this year to include students from throughout the county.
“We’re hoping for it to be a big deal, like the Special Olympics, for ages 2 to 21,” said Tania DeLeon, who teaches moderately to severely handicapped students at SBHS. “In the past our students have just competed against each other, with activities for various developmental levels modified so everyone can do all of the events.”
This year, all K-12 schools as well as home-schooled children in San Benito County have been invited to register their special education students in the May 15 event at Andy Hardin Stadium. So far, 52 students at eight schools have been contacted, organizers say.
“We’re hoping for 100 students this year,” DeLeon said.
The Gifted Games traditionally were held over three days as a way to allow students in the high school’s Life Skills classes a chance to learn about and participate in athletic events in which they otherwise could not compete. This year, the event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on one day.
“Everyone gets a medal and everyone’s a winner,” said SBHS Life Skills teacher Mona Trevino, who is helping organize the games.
Scheduled events include the standing long jump, softball throw, “Turbo Jav,” 50-meter, 100-meter and relay races, and wheelchair races (manual, motorized and assisted).
Organizers say the Gifted Games will have even more impact this year because the regional Special Olympics competition is scheduled during the high school’s spring break, meaning most local students likely won’t compete.
Teacher and SBHS athletic trainer Dave Tari’s advanced sports medicine classes plan to meet with local schools to help teachers develop training schedules and demonstrate proper techniques for their students who will compete in the Gifted Games.
“Some of these [Life Skills] kids are really good athletes and could easily compete in high school sports,” said Tari, who, along with Trevino helped create the Gifted Games. “My [sports medicine] kids are involved showing them how to run, throw, lift weights. It’s kind of neat watching my kids work with the Life Skills kids, because my kids almost get more out of it. The Life Skills kids are so giving and appreciative.”
Within the next couple of weeks, Tari’s students will begin visiting local schools to start the training process.
“Our kids will be doing one-on-one work, coaching them, doing everything a coach would do under the guidance of Mona, Matt Andrade and myself,” Tari said. “Hopefully we can get more parents involved so that when we get these kids at the high school they can go out for a sport so they can feel that sense of accomplishment and work with other kids. We’ve got a lot of kids that we could easily get out there to do stuff like track, cross country, football. It’s another way to put them in the mainstream of society.”
Volunteers and community donations play a large role in the success of the Baler Gifted Games, DeLeon said.
“Our community is always good about helping us out,” she said. “The audience is so much fun and the kids get so excited” to have people rooting them on. A number of SBHS teachers bring their classes to watch portions of the competition, which organizers say livens up the festivities.
The Life Skills classes are seeking volunteers and donations of time, money or materials to assist this year’s Baler Gifted Games.
“We understand that some people can’t help monetarily, but they can help by donating their time,” said DeLeon, noting that volunteers can help out in the snack shack and any tax-deductible donations will be used to purchase equipment for the event or food for the participants’ lunches.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
To make donations to or to volunteer for the Baler Gifted Games, contact Mona Trevino at 637-5831, ext. 318; Tania DeLeon at ext. 301; or Dave Tari at ext. 314.
