By Ty Sanges
Under the bright lights of Brock-Affleck Field, Springfield College’s men’s and women’s soccer programs have excelled. Standout individual performances or gritty team victories highlight the memories that have played out on the field over many years. However, a unique event offered to current student-athletes gives other local players a chance to shine, while simultaneously giving Springfield soccer players an experience that they can carry with them far beyond the pitch.
In collaboration with Special Olympics Massachusetts, both the men’s and women’s teams at Springfield College come together to practice with Special Olympic athletes on the same field where significant moments are captured for collegiate teams. For an hour every other Thursday, the soccer clubs formulate a large practice with the Special Olympics team to give these athletes the chance to create their own unforgettable memories.
“Our goal is to give them the opportunity that they might not have had growing up,” said senior men’s soccer captain Aidan Hallinan. “I think as student-athletes, it’s important to use our platform to give back. We’re very privileged to have what we do here, so it’s important for us to give back and give them the opportunity to play soccer, a sport that we love and cherish.”
The sessions get the Special Olympics team active and allow them to be involved in soccer-related activities for an hour. At the start of the practice, everyone forms a stretching circle, which is almost always led by one of the Special Olympics athletes.
“It’s super fun,” Hallinan said. “Seeing them lead the stretches and have a lot of fun with it is what we do this for. This is why they come every two weeks.”
From there, everyone at the practice breaks off into three stations, where the Springfield College athletes assist the Special Olympics athletes with drills. Rotating through these three stations, the athletes have the opportunity to practice multiple aspects of the game while socializing with Springfield athletes and others like them who share a passion for soccer.
The shooting station has Special Olympic athletes practice kicking the ball into the back of the net, practicing scoring from various lengths and angles on the field, giving them the satisfaction of scoring a goal.
Meanwhile, the dribbling station has athletes play “sharks and minnows,” a game where the goal is to try to keep your own ball protected while others try to kick it away from you. The last person standing is declared the winner. This practices players’ ball control while making it a fun game for the athletes to compete with each other.
Lastly, the passing station gives the athletes a chance to pass the balls back and forth with the Springfield players, teaching how to stop the ball when it is passed to them and return it accurately.
“We try to let them lead as much of it as we can,” women’s soccer senior Mirabell Brunell said. “It gives them positive attention which they may not get in a lot of other places.”
Following the three stations, the players are divided into two teams to play a large scrimmage. Springfield’s team members play alongside the Special Olympic athletes in what Hallinan notes is the Special Olympic athletes’ favorite part of the practice and what they look forward to most at each meeting.
“We include the athletes, the participants, and the men’s and women’s soccer teams,” Hallinan said. “We get everyone involved in the scrimmage, and we get everyone a goal. They love it. After (the scrimmage), we bring it all together at the end, and we let one of the Special Olympic athletes give a little speech and break it down as one big team.”
While the Special Olympic athletes gain vital experience and skills from these practices every other week, it is the Springfield College players who earn just as much as anyone else.
“It’s nice to do something for someone else during the week and put others’ needs before your own,” Brunell said. “Helping them sometimes break out of their shell, as sometimes they can be really shy, feels really good when you can finally get to see the true side of them. Connecting them with others who may have special needs or disabilities helps them socialize more and shows that they have support in the community.”
The collaboration was started by the women’s team, with former women’s soccer head coach John Gibson having a long standing relationship with the Special Olympics. The men’s team then joined after an invitation from coach Gibson to help the women’s team, and the tradition has stood since.
Both Springfield College soccer programs have given Special Olympics athletes something to remember and look forward to for years, displaying their selflessness and desire to give back to the community.
“It’s really amazing to see these kids smile and see them have a blast,” Hallinan said. “Seeing them have the same opportunity to love the game as much as I have my entire life is something special.”
For the men’s and women’s teams, that is the goal: to show support to the Special Olympic athletes and give them a space where they can open up, interact with others, enjoy a sport that they love and make relationships with others through a medium that they otherwise would not have the opportunity to do.
“A lot of stuff at school and at college is about yourself,” Brunell said. “It’s about your time and your own personal success. However, here, it is all about them and trying to give them the best experience possible, and I think there is something really special about that.”
Photo courtesy of Springfield College men’s soccer