Kosciusko County Special Olympics in Need of Assistant Director
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Kosciusko County Special Olympics is in need of an assistant director to meet the needs of those the organization serves.
Becky Walls has served as the organization’s county coordinator since 1999.
The organization has 12 board members, and there are athletes’ parents who assist the organization. Two of the 12 board members are athletes.
The assistant director position is a non-paid position.
Duties of the assistant director would be to assist Walls with scheduling sport competitions, help plan fundraisers and complete paperwork.
“I would like to get someone to train who could eventually take over my place as I am 70 years old,” Walls said.
Walls said the organization has been looking for an assistant director for the past two years, but has not found one. The organization was founded in Kosciusko County in 1973. The mission is to provide sports training for persons with intellectual disabilities.
A person must have an intellectual disability to participate in the Special Olympics, according to Walls.
In June the athletes went to a three-day Summer Games in Terre Haute and competed with other Special Olympics athletes from across Indiana.
They competed in track and field and bocce ball.
Athletes in Kosciusko County range in ages 13 to 70 years old. Athletes 8 years old and older can compete in competitions.
The organization currently serves a little more than 100 athletes in Kosciusko County, according to Walls.
In the summer, the athletes practice bowling to prepare for league bowling in the fall and a bowling competition in October.
The organization practices basketball at the Gordon Recreation Center at Grace College, which starts in December. They compete in January and have tournaments in March at Taylor University.
The athletes then compete in an area competition in November in Logansport. If they advance, they go to a state bowling competition in December in Indianapolis.
The athletes will compete in flag football, and their first practice was July 30 at Dewamac Park, RR Donnelley’s private park. On Aug. 20 they will go to Grant County for an invitational tournament.
“These sports allow the athletes to get out among people and get physical activity,” Walls said.
To learn more about being an assistant director, call Walls at 574-594-2962 or email sokcbwalls@aol.com
