Mike Wolanin | The Republic Schmitt Elementary student Simon Smitley competes in the 25-meter dash during Special Olympics Young Athletes field day at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
About 100 elementary and Pre-K students arrived at Columbus North High School for a field day centered not just on athletics, but also inclusivity.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. held a Young Athletes field event at North on Wednesday, with students from the school corporations’s Pre-K program, Schmitt and Clifty Creek elementary schools participating — some with special needs. There were also volunteers from the high school level assisting throughout the event.
Pre-K director Kellie McIntyre described it as an end-of-the-year event celebrating the work of BCSC staff and students. The students have been practicing for the field event since January and participated in activities such as running, hurdle jumping, balancing, and kicking and throwing balls. She estimated the number of field day participants at about 100.
“It’s exciting to see these kids (with special needs) kind of be leaders in the Young Athletes program, which I think they don’t have that opportunity in sports sometimes,” she said. “And so this is a really big opportunity and exciting opportunity for them to be the leaders, and their peers are kind of following their lead.”
Young Athletes is an early childhood program from Special Olympics, said McIntyre. It is for students with special needs and those without and focuses on developing not only motor skills and sports readiness, but also social emotional learning and acceptance.
“That’s really kind of the backbone of the whole program, it is just acceptance and inclusivity,” said McIntyre.
There is a similar program at the elementary level, known as Young Champions. Then, at the high school level, there are Unified Sports program offerings.
