On Sunday, October 14th, our athletes took a drive to DeSales University for the 2018 Eastern Fall Sectional. Athletes from Area P, Berks County, Bethlehem County, Bucks County, Carbon County, Chester County, Columbia/ Montour, Delaware County, Lancaster County, Lebanon County, Luzerne County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Northumberland – Snyder Counties, Philadelphia County, Schuylkill County and the host county, Lehigh County, filled the football stadium in anticipation of a wonderful day of competition ahead. Every athlete had one thing on their mind, securing a spot at the fall state games – Fall Festival.
Opening Ceremonies kicked off with opening remarks from Dr. Berg and Chloe Phillips. Dr. Berg announced the theme for the day was Board Games in order to encourage everyone to take a chance and climb the ladder. Next, the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard was welcomed to do the presentation of colors followed by the DeSales University Choir who beautifully sang the National Anthem. Eric Cushing, Vice President of Development for Special Olympics Pennsylvania, was introduced once the National Anthem ended in order to thank and do a Check Presentation with the Billy Frost Concert Committee. After this was completed, Dr. Berg took over again and welcomed Global Messenger, Ashley Bressler from Columbia/ Montour to speak about her experience with Special Olympics PA and how she enjoys competing. The DeSales University Dance Team then took over in a wonderful performance followed by Father Kevin who led everyone in prayer. Chloe and Dr. Berg took over again and led the coaches and athletes in their oaths. Once this was finished, the lighting of the Flame of Hope occurred, and was carried by athletes from Lehigh County, Officer Mettin and officers from the DeSales University Police Department as a symbol for officers around the world being guardians of the flame. The Flame of Hope is a symbol of Special Olympics and represents the determination of all athletes. Finally, Chloe declared the 2018 Special Olympics Pennsylvania Eastern Fall Sectional officially open.
Over 800 athletes were led by 350 coaches and over 400 volunteers in games where they went head to head with one another and showcased their athletic abilities. Athletes competed in Bocce (Doubles and Unified Sports Doubles), Long Distance Running/ Walking, Powerlifting, Soccer (11 v 11, Skills, 7 v 7, 5 v 5 Unified Sports) and Volleyball (Team and Individual Skills). This was the first year we have a Unified Team (Strykers) who made their competition debut at the Area M Fall Sports Classic. Once the games were completed, all of our Soccer teams, Volleyball Skills athletes and Bocce teams had secured a spot in the state event.
Congratulations to all those teams and athletes we can’t wait to see what you do at Fall Festival!
Facebook Event Page | #SOPAFallEast
October 14, 2018: Julia Rose for 69wfmz News: Hundreds of Special Olympics athletes compete in Lehigh County event
Team |
Place |
| Kevin Karcher & Pam Galone | 1st Place |
| Tracey McGarvey & John Kulpa | 1st Place |
| Kirstyn Cantres & Christina DiVergilis | 2nd Place |
Head Coach Carol Canady and Assistant Coaches Michelle Angerman
Team Name |
Athletes/Partners |
Coach |
Place |
Philly Stars (5v5) |
Allison Davidson, Danny Amrik, Jackie Lutts, Emmett Abdo, Lisa Barbour, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams | Head Coach Charles Abdo, Assistant Coaches Ronald Atkins Sr, | 3rd Place |
Stykers (Unified 7v7) |
Brian Oldakowski, Ryan Milanaik, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Matthew Grabowski, Ryan Bogan, Michael Luciani, Brian Stulz, Hailey Hurst, Angel Rodriguez, Jonathon Boback |
Head Coach Gary Bixby, Assistant Coaches Samuel Fioravanti Sr, | 1st Place |
United (7v7) |
Charles Zisette, Mitchel Stahl, Sam Fioravanti Jr, Danny Charlton, Carl Irvis, Jesse Rose, Jason Bixby, Ian Capacio, Michael Castillo, Justin Martinez, Hope Anderson | Head Coach Walt Beckman, Assistant Coaches Karen Aviso, Jacqueline Bixby, Michelle Lebron | 4th Place |
Team Name |
Athletes |
Coach |
Place |
Special Stars |
Derrick Jackson, Teddy Angerman, Ray Anderson, James Shelton, Stanley Dluzniewski, Kelly Dluzniewski, Allison Ruitzer, Carlyn Robinson, Sharon Quarles, Francis Bradshaw | Head Coach Rosemary Duffy, Assistant Coach Andy Delworth, Jon Garvey | 3rd Place |
| Cyla Bradshaw | 1st Place |
| Marissa Williams | 3rd Place |
Head Coach Monica Bradshaw
After a weather postponement, Unified Bocce teams from George Washington High School and Hill-Freedman World Academy made their way to Camp Hill, PA on Friday, March 23 for the 2018 Interscholastic Unified Indoor Bocce State Championship. Both teams qualified for the championship after placing first in their respective divisions in the Philadelphia City Championship earlier in the season. This year, eleven high school teams advanced from seven regions of the state. Like Geroge Washington and Hill-Freedman, each school earned a spot in this event by winning their county or city championships. Our two Philadelphia teams joined the Rochester Rams and Central Valley Warriors who represented Beaver, the Upper Dauphin Trojans who represented Dauphin, the Haverford Fords who represented Delaware, the Grove City Eagles and West Middlesex Big Reds who represented Mercer, North Penn Knights who represented Montgomery, and the North Penn Liberty Mounties who represented Tioga counties.
During the Opening Ceremony, Mike Handleman, joined the head coach from North Penn Liberty High School, Carissa Flook, to lead the coaches in the Special Olympics Coaches Oath. Right before the Games were declared open, John Gombocz, Special Education Advisor for the PA Dept. of Education took to a bocce court to roll out our first ceremonial ball. George Washington and Hill-Freedman faced off each other in the first game with George Washington taking the win with a score of 12-2. In the next game, George Washington faced North Penn High School and lost 3-7. Hill-Freedman went up against West Middlesex High School and lost 4-11. The last round would determine where teams would end up on the podium. George Washington faced North Penn Liberty in hopes to make it to the podium with a bronze medal. Unfortunate, Geroge Washington lost in the last frame with the final score being 5-7. On the other side of the arena, Hill Freedman played Haverford High School for 7th place and ended up losing 2-10. In the end, Hill-Freedman walked away with the eighth place ribbon and Geroge Washington walked away with the fourth place ribbon. Congratulations to both schools, the athletes, partners and coaches on all of your hard work and making it to the state championships. You all truly live out the vision of Unified.
| George Washington Eagles | Hill-Freedman High School |
 |
 |
| Alyssa Henry, Senior Kaitlyn Pemper, Senior Karen Hua, Senior Faheem Rucker, Junior Nikolas Feaster, Junior Isaiah Jackson, Junior Perla Ayala, Sophomore Ivri McDaniel, Sophomore Yvonne Schwiker, Coach Lori Solomon, Coach |
Conrad Edwards, Senior Sean Washington, Senior Laurance Warner, Senior Mark Robbins, Senior Justice Saunders, Junior Justin Berry, Junior Anniya Gentles, Freshman Jibard Richardson, Freshman Mike Handelman, Coach Joseph Moore, Coach |
For all photos from the event from Photography by Dane, click here.
The 2018 Philadelphia IUS Bocce Championship was held on Tuesday, January 23rd at Northeast High School. This year, Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia welcomed the most schools and teams to ever participate in the Bocce Championship – a total of 11 schools with 22 teams playing.
After weeks of training and competing in two league-play days, schools arrived with hopes of advancing to Hershey, PA for the IUS State Bocce Championships on March 22nd and 23rd. Schools in attendance included Abraham Lincoln High School, High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, George Washington High School, Hill-Freedman High School, Kensington High School, Northeast High School, Parkway West High School, School of the Future, South Philadelphia High School, Strawberry Mansion, and Thomas Edison High School.
As schools arrived to Northeast High School, they were welcomed by Northeast High School’s band and mascot, the Viking. Northeast’s band stuck around for Opening Ceremonies to play the national anthem, while the Viking stuck around to root on Northeast and the other teams as the competed. During the competition, we saw play across all schools that has been the best it has ever been.
We want to thank the Knights of Columbus for volunteering with us all season, including the championship and League 91 for volunteering and providing awesome volunteer shirts for our championship. A huge thank you to all of the teachers and staff from all of our schools who do work so incredibly hard with our athletes and partners in training and during games, and assisting with each of the trips to provide opportunities for inclusion. Thank you!
Congratulations to Hill-Freedman Team 2 and George Washington Team 2 for advancing to Hershey!
|
DIVISION NAME |
BLUE A (BA) |
BLUE B (BB) |
RED A (RA) |
RED A/B |
RED B (RB) |
GRN A (GA) |
GRN A/B |
GRN B (GB) |
ROUND 1 |
SOF1 (8) v PW1 (4) |
GW2 (12) v AL2 (2) |
SOF2 (7) v KEN1 (4) |
TE1 (0) v NE1 (8) |
GW1 (10) v CAPA1 (3) |
HF2 (8) v SP 1 (2) |
TE2 (4) v SM1 (1) |
AL1 (5) v CAPA2 (3) |
ROUND 2 |
PW 1 (6) v HF 1 (4) |
AL2 (5) v KEN 2 (7) |
KEN 1 (6) v NE 1 (4) |
NE 2 (5) v GW 1 (3) |
CAPA1 (5) v PW2 (6) |
SP1 (8) v SM1 (2) |
SP2 (1) v AL1 (4) |
CAPA2 (1) v SM2 (6) |
ROUND 3 |
HF1 (4) v SOF1 (5) |
KEN2 (4) v GW2 (6) |
TE1 (2) v KEN1 (8) |
NE1 (2) v SOF2 (11) |
PW2 (2) v NE2 (3) |
TE2 (3) v SP1 (4) |
SM1 (4) v HF2 (5) |
SM2 (6) v SP2 (4) |
ROUND 4 |
BLUE 3rd/4th |
BLUE 5th/6th |
SOF2 (7) v TE1 (5) |
PW2 (0) v GW1 (9) |
CAPA1 (2) v NE2 (9) |
HF2 (11) v TE2 (4) |
AL1 (2) v SM2 (9) |
CAPA2 (3) v SP2 (5) |
|
|
2nd BA v 2nd BB |
3rd BA v 3rd BB |
||||||
|
|
PW1 (8) v KEN2 (2) |
HF1 (7) v AL2 (5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ROUND 5 |
|
BLUE FINAL |
RED FINAL |
RED 3rd/4th |
RED 5th/6th |
GRN FINAL |
GRN 3rd/4th |
GRN 5th/6th |
|
|
Winner BA v Winner BB |
Winner RA v Winner RB |
2nd RA v 2nd RB |
3rd RA v 3rd RB |
Winner GA v Winner GB |
2nd GA v 2nd GB |
3rd GA v. 3rd Grn B |
|
|
|
SOF1 (0) v GW2 (12) |
SOF2 (12) v NE2 (3) |
NE1 (0) v PW2 (18) |
KEN1 (5) v GW1 (6) |
HF2 (5) v SM2 (2) |
TE2 (4) v SP2 (3) |
SP1 (3) v AL1 (9) |
Place |
Blue Division |
Red Division |
Green Division |
1st |
George Washington 2 | School of the Future 2 | Hill-Freedman 2 |
2nd |
School of the Future 1 | Northeast 2 | Strawberry Mansion 2 |
3rd |
Parkway West 1 | George Washington 1 | Abraham Lincoln 1 |
4th |
Kensington 2 | Kensington 1 | South Philadlephia 1 |
5th |
Hill-Freedman 1 | Parkway West 2 | Thomas Edison 2 |
6th |
Lincoln 2 | Northeast 1 | CASouth Philadelphia 2 |
7th |
CAPA 1 | CAPA 2 | |
8th |
Thomas Edison 1 | Strawberry Mansion 1 |
After a snow delay which pushed the third annual Elementary/Middle School IUS Bocce Championship back a week, the championship was held on Tuesday, January 16th at Jefferson University‘s Gallagher Recreation Center. This year, Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia welcomed the largest amount of school teams to date with three elementary schools and five middle schools bringing a total of 15 teams to compete. Elementary schools in attendance included Juniata Park Academy and Penrose School. Middle schools in attendance included Andrew Hamilton, Hill-Freedman World Academy, Middle Years Alternative School (MYA), Penrose School, and Universal Daroff Charter School.
Executive Director, Health, Safety, Nutrition and Physical Education, Bettyann Creighton, and Manager of Interscholastic Partnerships, Alex Christy, kicked off the day by welcoming all teams to the championship and wishing them the best of luck during the competitions. As the competition got underway, there was excitement in the air as each team brought their A-game to the championship. There was excitement in the air. After each student rolled, they were met with high-fives and if it was a particularly great roll, a loud cheer from their school.
Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia would like to extend a huge thank all the coaches who have helped their team train and be competition ready, the chaperones for assisting with the event and Jefferson University athletics for providing volunteers. Without all of their support, this event would not have been possible. Thank you! Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia is excited about next year’s Elementary/Middle School IUS Bocce Championship!
The Third Annual Elementary/Middle School IUS Bocce Championship ended with awards being given to all of the athletes and partners based on the order of finish. In the middle school division, Hill-FreedmanTeam 2 took first, Penrose Team 1 took second, and Middle Years Academy Team 1 took third. In the elementary school division, Juniata Park Team 1 took first, Penrose Team 1 took second, and Penrose Team 2 took third.
COURT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Elementary |
Middle 1 |
Middle 1 |
Middle 2 |
Middle 2 |
|
ROUND 1 |
JP1 (5) v PE1 (4) | PM1 (6) v AH1 (5) | HF1 (4) v MYA1 (5) | PM2 (6) v AH2 (2) | HF2 (9) v MYA2 (3) |
ROUND 2 |
PE2 (5) v JP2 (3) | MYA1 (1) v PM1 (7) | AH1 (2) v HF1 (2) | MYA2 (1) v PM2 (7) | AH2 (2) v HF2 (3) |
ROUND 3 |
PE1 (6) v PE2 (6) | HF1 (3) v PM1 (4) | AH1 (3) v MYA (6) | HF2 (7) v PM2 (2) | AH2 (5) v MYA2 (2) |
ROUND 4 |
JP2 (3) v JP1 (4) | MIDDLE FINAL | MIDDLE 3RD/4TH | MIDDLE 5TH/6TH | MIDDLE 7TH/8TH |
|
|
M1 winner v M2 winner | Runner-Up M1 v Runner-Up M2 | 3rd Place M1 v 3rd Place M2 | 4th Place M1 v 4th Place M2 | |
|
|
PR1 (4) vs HF2 (5) | MYA1 (4) v PR2 (2) | AH1 (2) vs AH2 (5) | HF1 (5) v MYA2 (4) | |
ROUND 5 |
PE2 (0) v JP1 (6) | PE1(5) v JP2 (3) |
|
Elementary Schools
|
Middle Schools
|
The 2017-2018 IUS Bocce Season is the third year that Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia has had an IUS Bocce League. This year, nine Philadelphia schools are participating with the end goal of competing in Hershey, PA for the State IUS Bocce Championships. After a few months off, everyone was happy to start bocce again. Below is a recap from all of our League Play Days. Separate posts will be made for the IUS Philadelphia Bocce Championship and State IUS Bocce Championship.
Five Philadelphia schools met at Thomas Edison on Tuesday, November 14th for the first of four league play days. High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Hill Freedman High School, Parkway West High School, Strawberry Mansion, and Thomas Edison brought two teams to compete against each other during their first round of league play days. For two schools, this day marks their IUS Bocce debut! This is the first year that Kensington is competing, Strawberry Mansion is new to the program! Every school came and showed their best efforts, but also showed great sportsmanship.
Court 1 |
Court 2 |
Court 3 |
Court 4 |
|
Round 1 |
CAPA 1 (7) vs PW1 (8) | CAPA2 (3) vs PW2 (8) | KEN1 (5) vs HF1 (10) | KEN2 (6) vs TE1 (5) |
Round 2 |
TE2 (5) vs SM1 (3) | SM2 (5) vs CAPA1 (11) | CAPA 2 (5) vs KEN1 (6) | PW1 (8) vs KEN2 (5) |
Round 3 |
PW2 (7) vs TE2 (2) | HF1 (9) vs SM1 (3) | TE1 (8) vs SM2 (4) |
CAPA = High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, HF = Hill Freedman High School, PW = Parkway West High School, SM = Strawberry Mansion, TE = Thomas Edison
For our second IUS Leauge Play Day of the 2017 – 2018 season, four schools came to Abraham Lincoln on Thursday, November 16th for their first league play day. George Washington High School, High School of the Future, Northeast High School, and South Philadelphia High School each had two teams representing their school. Like the first league play day, schools brought their competitive nature and sportsmanship. During each game, athletes and coaches showed their knowledge of the sport. Many of the games came to the last few balls thrown.
Court 1 |
Court 2 |
Court 3 |
Court 4 |
|
Round 1 |
AL1 (3) vs GW1 (5) | SOF1 (2) vs NE1 (3) | SP1 (2) vs AL2 (10) | GW2 (7) vs SOF2 (2) |
Round 2 |
SP2 (3) vs NE2 (9) | AL1 (6) vs SOF1 (11) | SP1 (3) vs GW1 (8) | |
Round 3 |
NE1 (5) vs GW2 (5) | NE2 (6) vs AL2 (8) | SP2 (4) vs SOF2 (7) |
AL = Abraham Lincoln High School, GW = George Washington High School, NE = Northeast High School, SOF = High School of the Future, SP = South Philadelphia High School
Four schools met at High School of the Future on Tusday, December 12th for their second league play day and SOPA Philly’s third. George Washington High School, Hill Freedman High School, Parkway West High School, and Strawberry Mansion High School came to compete one last time before the Championship. Sportsmanship was all around as schools clapped for their competitors after an athlete or partner rolled a particularly good roll. With two more games under everyone’s belt, all teams left feeling confident for the Championship.
Court 1 |
Court 2 |
Court 3 |
Court 4 |
|
Round 1 |
SOF1 (10) vs PW1 (2) | SOF2 (8) vs PW1 (5) | HF1 (7) vs SM2 (3) | HF2 (4) vs GW2 (14) |
Round 2 |
PW2 (4) vs GW2 (6) | SM1 (4) vs GW1 (7) | HF1 (4) vs SOF2 (6) | |
Round 3 |
GW1 (3) vs SOF1 (14) | PW1 (7) vs SM2 (2) | HF2 (8) vs PW2 (6) |
GW = George Washington High School, SOF = High School of the Future, HF = Hill Freedman High School, PW = Parkway West High School, SM = Strawberry Mansion High School
After some snowfall through the night, six schools were ready to heat things up with their last scrimmage before the Championship on Thursday, December 14th. Abraham Lincoln High School, High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Kensington High School, Northeast High School, and Thomas Edison High School met at South Philadelphia High School for their second scrimmage and the last of the 2017 – 2018 League Play Days. After a slow, snowy start, everyone was competing at their best and is looking forward to the Championship.
Court 1 |
Court 2 |
Court 3 |
Court 4 |
|
Round 1 |
SP1 (0) vs CAPA1 (10) | CAPA2 (4) vs TE2 (1) | KEN1 (6) vs AL1 (3) | AL2 (6) vs NE1 (6) |
Round 2 |
CAPA1 (4) vs NE2 (6) | AL2 (9) vs CAPA2 (2) | KEN2 (7) vs SP2 (2) | TE1 (7) vs SP1 (5) |
Round 3 |
NE2 (5) vs KEN1 (5) | SP2 (1) vs NE1 (5) | AL1 (8) vs TE1 (10) | TE2 (5) vs KEN2 (7) |
AL = Abraham Lincoln High School, CAPA = High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, KEN = Kensington High School, NE = Northeast High School, SP = South Philadelphia High School, TE = Thomas Edison High School
Our Philadelphia athletes had a great start to the 2017 Fall Season while attending the Area M Invitational on Sunday, September 17th. This invitational is held every fall at Hershey High School and invites 20 local Special Olympics PA programs to come out and compete in five sports. This year, 750 athletes came together to compete at one of their first tournaments of the season. Athletes have the chance to compete in bocce, long distance running/walking, powerlifting, soccer, and volleyball. Philadelphia athletes who attended competed in bocce, soccer skills, 5v5 soccer, and 7v7 soccer.
| Team 1 | Teddy Angerman & Raymond Anderson | 1st |
| Team 2 | John Kulpa & Sharon Quarles | 3rd |
| Team 3 | Tracy McGravey & Kirstyn Cantres | 1st |
| Team 4 | Bryan Ziegler & Kevin Karcher | 1st |
Huge thank you to Coach Carole Canady for preparing our athletes!
| Patrick Kulick | 3rd |
| Eddie Glover | 1st |
Huge thank you to Coach Jaclyn Bixby for preparing our athletes!
| Stars & Stripes (5v5) | Ian Capacio, Allison Davidson, Danny Amrik, Jackie Lutts, Emmet Abdo, Lisa Barbour, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams | 1st |
| Strykers (7v7) | Matt Grabowski, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Ryan Bogan, Charles Zistte, Angel Rodriguez, Brian Stulz, Ronald Atkins Jr., Samuel Fioravanti Jr, Jason Bixby, Daniel Charlton, Jesse Rose, Matt Beckman, Carl Irvis | 1st |
Huge thank you to Coaches Charles Abdo (Stars & Stripes) and Ryan Milanaik (Strykers) for preparing our athletes!
On Saturday, April 29th, Special Olympics Philadelphia held our 40th Annual Philadelphia Spring Games at William Penn Charter (3000 West School House Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19144) and it was an absolute success! We had a record-breaking event on numerous levels, including the number of counties hosted (six), the number of athletes competing, and celebrity and political representatives! It looked like it would be a cloudy day when it started, but as we were about to start the sun came out.
The day started at 8:00 am at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Flame of Hope was escorted by law enforcement from the Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department, Philadelphia Police Department, lead by Deputy Commissioner Dennis Wilson. Members carried the Flame of Hope from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to William Penn Charter. At 9:00 am, Opening Ceremonies began enthusiastically as athlete Allie Rutizer, and Sports Anchor for Comcast SportsNet, John Boruk emceed the morning. To lead the parade of athletes, West Powelton Drum Squad lead the way before we introduced athletes from Bethlehem City, Chester County, Delaware County, Lehigh County, Montgomery County, and of course, Philadelphia County. Besides athletic teams, basketball teams, and tennis teams, we also welcomed our Young Athletes, Gymnastics Team, and athletes from School of the Future and some of our bocce athletes. Athletes in the parade were escorted by members of the Temple University Football Team. After the athletes took their seats, a remarkable edition of the National Anthem was sung by a parent, Denine Aversa as Frankford High Schools Junior ROTC Color Guard lead by Cadet Kevin Olsen presented the colors.
Afterward, Director of Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia, Britt Kleine, spoke and introduced Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, who gave words of his support of Special Olympics, appreciation for everyone involved, and encouragement for the athletes about to compete. After Mayor Kenney spoke, Councilman Derek Green spoke and presented Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia with a Citation from the City of Philadelphia to honor the 40th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Spring Games. Opening Ceremony ended with the Flame of Hope being brought in by the Law Enforcement Torch Run and escorted by, retired professional boxer, Bernard Hopkins. After the excitement of the Flame of Hope arriving at the 40th Annual Philadelphia Spring Games, Allie and John kept the energy high by proclaiming the Games Open!
Athletes parted ways to partake in athletics (track and field), basketball, and tennis competition. As competition started, our VIP guests got to participate in a Unified Bocce Experience with some of our community bocce athletes as well as athletes from our Interscholastic Unified School, School of the Future. Two courts were set up and after a brief training for our VIP guests, the experience was on its way! Everyone who participated had a great time and athletes played alongside our VIP guests. Our Young Athletes who are not old enough to compete as an official Special Olympics athlete, showed off their skills at William Penn Charter’s playground as they completed an obstacle course that was set up especially to show off their skills.
Besides competition, the Olympic Village offered a place for athletes to relax and do some fun activities while waiting for their turn to compete. In addition, sponsor PriceWaterhouseCoopers was at the grill, firing up some burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches for spectators as well as selling some beverages and souvenirs. The day ended with athletes being awarded medals in order of their finish at their respective competition site. Everyone left happy, and for those athletics and tennis athletes – a little tanner!
Thank you to the coaches, assistant coaches, and families who helped all of our athletes prepare for the 40th Annual Philadelphia Spring Games! A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who made this day possible!
Coming Soon!
| Team | Athletes | Place |
| Bad News Bears | ||
| Timberwolves | ||
| Wildcats | ||
| Ballers | ||
| Blazers | ||
| Hawks | ||
| Hoops | ||
| Phlames | ||
| Phlash | ||
| Rebels |
Coming Soon!
Via Kristen Applegate YouTube channel on behalf of Temple University
PHOTOS: Special Olympics holds annual Philadelphia Spring Games at Penn Charter in East Falls
The Gish Rockford Family
On Tuesday, April 4, 2017, SOPA Philly hosted a Unified Bocce Demonstration at the School District of Philadelphia Head Quarters (440) in the atrium for all to see! The two winning teams from our Philadelphia Unified Bocce Championship championship that did not advance to Hershey – a team from Thomas Edison and another from George Washington, along with a team from Kensington HS joined us at 440 to take part in this fun day.
There was a small program prior to the demonstration where a partner from the George Washington team who played in Hershey addressed the crowd and shared their experience in Hershey, and then two athletes from Edison.
The Edison and George Washington teams played off against one another to demonstrate a skilled game and teammates from Kensington played alongside administrative personnel from within the school building who came down to experience the magic of Unified firsthand. Not only did administrative personnel come down to play, there was a crowd watching the showcase, including from the balconies above.
After finishing first at the 2017 IUS Philadelphia Bocce Championship, two George Washington teams an a team from Thomas Edison were placed into a hat to see who would represent Philadelphia at the 2017 Interscholastic Unified State Bocce Championships. At the end, one of the teams from George Washington Eagles moved on to represent Philadelphia. Members of the George Washington Team 1 headed to Hershey, PA on Thursday, March 23rd to be there when competition started early on Friday, March 24th.
George Washington showed up early to the Giant Center in Hershey, PA to go for the gold. In the first round, they went up against the Upper Dauphin Trojans and lost in a 7-8 game. Although the chance of gold slipped through their fingers with just one point, our George Washington Eagles did not lose sight of sportsmanship and congratulated the Trojans with their heads held high. In their final match, the Eagles went for the bronze medal as they went up against the Sun Valley Vanguards. The Eagles gave it their best shot, but in the end lost their second match. Like the first match, they congratulated the Vanguards with a smile on their face. Although the Eagles lost both of their matches, they had a great time spending the night in Hershey, PA and going against teams from across the state.
Gold Division |
Blue Division |
|
1st |
Elizabeth Forward Warriors |
Rochester Rams |
2nd |
Upper Dauphin Trojans |
Grove City Eagles |
3rd |
Sun Valley Vanguards |
Souderton Indians |
4th |
George Washington Eagles |
Strath Haven Panthers |
On Sunday, October 2nd, 46 Philadelphia athlete competed at the 2016 Eastern Fall Sectional held at East Stroudsburg University. Athletes competed in Bocce, Soccer, and Volleyball. It was a pretty dreary day, but Philadelphia shone with their bright uniforms. Our soccer athletes wore teal, you couldn’t miss our volleyball athletes in neon green and our bocce athletes wore sunshine yellow. All of our athletes competed with determination to make it to Fall Fest. With their coaches on the sideline, giving support, our athletes gave their best performance on the field/court. With the newly introduced hashtag, #SOPAFallEast, athletes, volunteers, coaches and fans were able to share their experiences of the day with everyone!
Congratulations to our Team 1 in Bocce (Pam Galone and John Kulpa), our 5v5 team, Stars and Stripes, and our 7v7 team, Philadelphia Strikers, for advancing to Fall Festival held next month!
| Team 1 | Pamela Galone & John Kulpa | |
| Team 2 | Teddy Angerman & Raymond Anderson | 4th Place |
| Team 3 | Christiana DiVergils & Sharon Quarles | 3rd Place |
| Team 4 | Bryan Ziegler & Kevin Karcher | 2nd Place |
| Unified Team 1 | Carole Angerman & Irwin Fox |
Thank you to Head Coach Carole Canady and Assistant Coaches Michelle Angerman, Carolyn Driscoll who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!
| Team | Athletes | Head Coach | Place |
| Philly Strykers (7 v 7) | Matthew Grabowski, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Ryan Bogan, Charles Zisette, Angel Rodriguez, Brian Stulz, Mitchell Stahl, Samuel Fioravanti Jr, Jason Bixby, Daniel Charlton, Jesse Rose, Matthew Beckman | Ryan Milaniak | 2nd Place |
| Stars and Stripes (5 v 5) | Ian Capacio, Allison Davidson, Danny Amrick, Jackie Lutts, Emmett Abdo, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams | Charles Abdo | 3rd Place |
Thank you to our two Head Coaches and the Assistant Coaches from the Philly Strykers: Gary Bixby, Walt Beckman, Samuel Fioravanti Sr, Linda Rose and John Rose and the Assistant Coaches from Stars and Stripes: Ronald Atkins and Karen Aviso, who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!
| Team | Athletes | Head Coach | Place |
|
Philadelphia Warriors |
Lavar Gladden, Demetrius LeFlore, Benjamin Liken, Davon Clements, Abdul Muhammed, Michael Henderson, Anthony Flanigan, Nicole Stanley, Kenneth Lamont, Denzel McFadden | William Holman |
Thank you to the Head Coach, William, and Assistant Coaches Tamika Holman and Beverly Liken who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!
| Joseph Barut | |
| James Shelton |
Thank you to Head Coach, Jon Garvey, who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!
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