Learning life lessons one catch at a time

With football season finally here teams are hard at work on the fields,including the the Lower Shore Special Olympics Football team. Sunday 47 ABC joined them at practice in Fruitland, Md.

The team, officials say, is a unified one meaning there are non-disability players, or partners as they’re called, mixed in with the Special Olympic athletes. Many of them forming special bonds with the disability players on the team they say.

“The (coaches) crack me up everyday and get me out here playing and just having fun,” said Mark Wingate, one of the Special Olympic athletes.

Special Olympics has been on the lower eastern shore for 35 years, the football program for seven and coaches tell me players are learning special life lessons one catch at a time.

“It provides them the socialization, teamwork, working with people they may not like,” said coach Pam Grosz.

Coaches also tells us that the football team provides Special Olympic athletes a chance to exercise because many of them spend most of their time stuck at home.    

The organization preaches six core values coaches say, community, integrity, opportunity, quality, sportsmanship and possibly the most important  friendship.

Special Olympics coaches tell us their first game is September 27th in Frederick, Md.
Those that want to help out with the team are welcome to their practices which take place on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Monday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Crown Sports complex in Fruitland, Md.