The Online Reflector

With the wrap-up of the Greyhound winter seasons, March Madness and Bulldog pride, basketball has been on the minds of much of the campus and the rest of Indianapolis. Basketball also was on the minds of approximately 250 participants who played in the Special Olympics Youth Basketball Tournament at the University of Indianapolis on March 26.

UIndy hosted the Special Olympics Youth Basketball Tournament for the second year in a row. The event was organized and executed by sports management majors in the Applied Event Management course and overseen by Associate Professor of Kinesiology Jennifer VanSickle.

VanSickle sees the partnership as mutually beneficial for the Special Olympics Indiana organization, which provides athletic opportunities for intellectually disabled youths and adults, and for UIndy.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to get involved in learning about sports administration and at the same time that particular organization and that population,” VanSickle said.

She also stressed the importance of sports management majors seeing the event from beginning to end, so they would know every aspect of planning and following through with such a large event.

Junior sports management major Alicia Dalrymple, who was on the committee in charge of game operations for the day, also saw particular value in participating in the event.

“It’s really good hands-on experience seeing something from start to finish,” Dalrymple said. “I hope I learn how to troubleshoot and problem solve on the spot and be able to translate that to future jobs.”

On the other side, Special Olympics Indiana gets a place to host its tournament, its students get a chance to interact with UIndy students and also get to participate in games and events all day.

There were nine UIndy students in the applied course that planned the event, and those students had to interview to enroll in the class.

“Their [Special Olympics Indiana] reputation is also on the line, so we want to make sure we get the right students for this job,” VanSickle said.

In addition to the nine students, there were also 304 volunteers, mostly UIndy students, faculty and staff. The volunteers helped run and supervise the day’s many events to ensure that they were both fun-filled and safe. They were also open to the public.

Twenty-six basketball teams participated, and the games were played in Nicoson Hall and the Ruth Lilly Fitness Center. Between games, the Special Olympics athletes could participate in different games and activities set up by UIndy students in various rooms throughout the two buildings. Students could play Wii or participate in other challenging but fun activities.
Many Special Olympics students were rewarded for their efforts throughout the day.

Football head coach Bob Bartolomeo was the event’s keynote speaker, and members of the men’s basketball and football teams participated in the dunk contest for the students’ entertainment.

Dalrymple said that not only did she join the class to get valuable experience that could help her in her future, but that the Special Olympics is a great organization, and hopefully having the event on campus will draw attention to the organization and all it does.

VanSickle also noted the valuable experience students can gain from the event.

“I hope students come away with an appreciation for those athletes and what they can do,” VanSickle said. “Anyone who volunteers gets more from it than they expect. They get more than they give.”