WARMINSTER - During a spirited pre-game stretching session at last Saturday night’s Goodwill Soccer Game, the Special Olympics squad was going through a series of lunges when one of its players quipped, “Feel the burn.”
The comment evoked laughter from teammates and coaches alike, and it was that kind of night.
There was plenty of laughter and smiles to go around on a perfect fall evening that saw the Bucks County Special Olympics team take on the William Tennent boys’ squad on the Panthers’ new turf field.
“It’s great,” Tennent senior Jim Clark said. “It’s just great to see them smile. They look forward to this every year.”
It was impossible to miss the excitement as the Special Olympics players entered the stadium.
“This is everything,” said Linda Price, the competition coordinator for the Special Olympics of Bucks County. “I don’t know who has more fun – the kids, the coaches or the parents. This is really special for them.”
It’s the relationships forged during and after the game that make the night so special.
“Just the camaraderie that the Tennent kids show the kids when they’re playing them – they’re so good with them,” Price said. “It’s just wonderful.
“To see the kids smile out there – it’s wonderful, and they get so excited. We look forward to this every year.”
The game affords the Special Olympics squad an opportunity to face some good competition before it travels to East Stroudsburg for the Special Olympics Sectionals, but it’s much more than that.
“It’s fun,” said Michelle Yohn. “It gets me out of the house. It’s cool.”
“It feels good,” fellow Special Olympian Brittany said. “I can play with my teammates.”
The Special Olympics squad defeated Tennent 7-5, and Panther coach James Barry, for one, was impressed.
“Many of the players from the Special Olympics team have overcome obstacles to be able to compete at the level they played at today,” the first-year coach said. “We are full of admiration for the skills and determination they showed in today’s game.”
If the Special Olympians enjoyed the evening, so did Tennent’s players.
“This is my fourth year, and it’s just great to come out here and dedicate this whole thing to them because they love it,” senior Jeff Pio said. “They look forward to this every single year.
“This is everything to them. Every year they come, and we play against them. They have a great time, and they leave very happy.”
Clark recalled a poignant moment in a preceding year’s game when a Special Olympics player scored on a penalty kick.
“Oh my god, the smile on his face – it was crazy,” the Tennent senior said. “It’s good to see them come out here and participate in sports because I know they don’t have the opportunities to do that a lot.”
After the game, the Tennent players presented trophies to each member of the Special Olympics squad.
“It makes me feel great that I can put a smile on their face,” Tennent’s Brian Rafferty said.
“Just coming out here every single year – not only do they have a great time, we have a great time too,” Pio said. “We have a chance to interact with them, play with them, converse with them.
“It’s just a really great thing to do. This whole day is just for them, just to watch them – we love seeing them smile.”
This is the sixth year that Tennent has held the Goodwill Soccer Game, and it’s one game the program plans to keep on its schedule for a long time to come.
“The Booster Club at William Tennent and the organizers and coaches of the Special Olympics team did a fantastic job with this event,” Barry said. “It’s something we want to continue in future years.
“It is an extremely beneficial event for both Tennent and the Special Olympics. Players from both teams learn a lot from one another and have fun doing something they all love to do.”
And in this game, everyone is a winner.
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