Tri-City Students Brought "Phenomenal" Game to Special Olympics

Boldly colored paper streamers fluttered in the wind Friday morning, as Hawks, Cougars, and Eagles paraded through the doors of American High School’s gym.

Parents cheered, while teenagers held up homemade banners that proclaimed their pride in their school’s team. The Olympic Games theme song trumpeted from the speakers.  

About 250 people had gathered to commemorate the start of the first-ever Special Olympics soccer games in Fremont, California. Newark Unified School District employees stood by the walls of the gym with their cell phones above their head, taking photos.

“I got a text that this was happening and ran over here; this is really exciting!” an employee said. “We’re really supposed to be doing something else, but we’re here,” she admitted with a laugh.    

American High School student Amari Harper ran around the edge of the bleachers pumping his arms in the air to encourage the crowd to do the wave.  The crowd loved his personality and stood up as he ran by.  

Harper later bore a custom torch of hope through the gym to honor the spirit of the games. Its red tissue paper flames burst forth from a black cone made of poster paper. He toured it around the gym, meeting applause everywhere he went.

“I am the most proud superintendent to be here today,” said Dr. Jim Morris, Fremont Unified School District superintendent, addressing the crowd. “Today is about champions and winners. Every student here is a winner,” Morris said.

The sound of pom poms fluttering punctuated his speech.   

Students from Newark Memorial, Logan, and Bridgepoint High Schools started the games at 10 a.m. Friday morning. Eddie Howard, American High School senior, emceed the event. Howard led his fellow football teammates in cheers on the sidelines of the soccer matches.

“It was such a cool event,” he said.

Newark Memorial’s soccer team won two out of three games, and tied the last one, according to Mike Arthur, one of the teachers who organized the event.  (He was inside the cougar costume.)

“The kids had so much fun!” Arthur said.

Students gave each other high-fives during the post-game awards ceremony inside the gym. All the athletes who played in the games received a blue ribbon.

Karen Russell, Fremont Unified School District’s assistant director of special education, said the games were “phenomenal.”

“Events like this benefit the entire school population,” Russell told Patch. “We saw the best in all the kids come out today.”

Russell said this soccer match was the first of three events scheduled for the 2013-14 school year. Students from Newark, Fremont, and Union City will play again in February on the basketball court. In March, they’ll compete in track and field events.

“Our goal is to expand the games beyond junior high and high school next year and involve the elementary schools,” Russell said.

Take a look at the photos attached to these words to see who came to the games.