Nearly 70 athletes turned out Thursday for the Aroostook County Special Olympics soccer skills competition in Presque Isle.
Held at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the event drew a crowd of volunteers and supporters to cheer on participants from all over The County.
COVID-19 and rain have canceled the event for the past four years, but sunny skies prevailed on Thursday as soccer teams competed and individuals honed their skills. This year marked a special anniversary of the local meet, coordinator Spencer King said.
“This event has been going on for 25 years,” King said. “I have a special place in my heart for this program. For these athletes, it gives them an opportunity to play soccer with other teams and have a lot of people supporting them.”
Organizers split participants into six teams to participate in seven-a-side games, which gave them a chance to play with different people, King said.
Near the pitches, athletes practiced skills like dribbling and shooting.
Maine Mutual Group of Presque Isle hosts the event each year, he said. Volunteers included employees as well, campus men’s and women’s soccer staff and students and local law enforcement.
There were also about 20 National Honor Society members from Presque Isle High School, which is the largest group ever, King said.
“That’s fantastic, because you see so much here that you don’t see in an article, reading about it,” he said.
The volunteers rotated around the field, helping athletes and keeping track of game play.
Volunteer Cassidy Carlisle, a high school senior and regional National Honor Society president, was enjoying her second year volunteering as she carried a clipboard to record data.
The chapter has been part of Special Olympics for many years, and each year members make the cause a priority, she said.
Participation is open only to juniors and seniors, she said. Besides helping them achieve their community service goals, the event gives them a fresh perspective on sportsmanship.
“I’ve been an athlete my entire life, but something that really sticks out to me is the joy these people have,” Carlisle said. “It’s really opened my eyes to enjoying the sport and the people I’m playing with.”
The athletes get to play with people of all ages, and always cheer each other on, she said. She has also seen how much it means to them to have enthusiastic support from people who care about them.
Participants work hard and look forward to events where they can showcase their skills, said Mike Littlefield, director of sports and programs for Special Olympics Maine, based in South Portland.
Littlefield traveled to Presque Isle for the soccer competition. The day was special since it was the first soccer event in The County since the pandemic, and the athletes were itching to compete again.
The Aroostook County Special Olympics management team puts on several showcases throughout the year, and Littlefield hopes to return north for a basketball event.
He enjoys seeing participants show their competitive drive and being able to showcase their abilities in any type of sport. For him, too, it’s all about the joy.
“That’s the beauty of sports and that’s really what our organization was started with, just bringing all walks of life together through sport, for the love of sport,” he said.
