OJR athletes take part in first track and field meet

For the first time, students with special needs at Owen J. Roberts (OJR) High School are able to take part in a competitive track and field program through Special Olympics Unified Sports.

Practices for the new program began on March 5 and have continued twice weekly after school in OJR's Wildcat Stadium. In the event of rain, practices are held indoors.

The team from OJR participated in its first track meet on April 11 at B. Reed Henderson High School. There, the OJR Wildcats team competed against student-athletes from the West Chester school, as well as Sun Valley High School, located in Delaware County.

During the meet, students ran the 100- , 400- and 800-meter races and took part in field events, including a mini javelin throw and long jump. The event culminated with a 4-by-100-meter relay. As part of the event, four students each had to run a distance of 100 meters in a single lane on the track. During each leg of the run, the students had to carry a baton and then pass it over to the next team member on the track.

About 12 OJR High School athletes are involved in the program. "We were so proud of them," said Meg Wrubel, who is coaching the team along with Meg Harpold. Both are special education and life skills teachers at OJR.

In preparation for the opening meet, the students practiced staying in their own lane while running on the track and passing a baton for the 4-by-100 relay race. Field events involved in the program include the shotput and long jump.

The students enjoyed competing as well as encouraging their teammates. "I loved running fast," said Connor, one of the participating students.

"I loved cheering on my friends," added student runner Josh.

Both teachers said that they are looking forward to watching the student-athletes progress during the remainder of the season. "Seeing the students have fun and see their hard work pay off is so special," said Harpold.

"The students are increasing their athletic skills each week, and we are eager to see their continued success on the field throughout the spring season," Wrubel added.

According to http://www.specialolympics.org, young people with disabilities do not often get a chance to play on their school sports teams, which is why it created the Unified Sports program. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of athletes of similar age and ability, with the aim of making practices, meets and games more fun and challenging. The programming is available in more than 8,300 schools across the United States, with a goal of being in 10,000 schools by 2024.