Albertus Magnus Men's Basketball Volunteers with Special Olympics
On Wednesday, Sept. 28, as part of the Division III initiative, the Albertus Magnus men’s basketball team volunteered with the Special Olympics and took part in a weekly basketball practice at North Haven Middle School.
The Falcons participated in shooting, ball handling and defensive drills as well as different basketball-related games.
This year, the Special Olympics is preparing for the Unified Basketball Tournament that will be held at Quinnipiac University November 19-20. The tournament will include seven teams from all different skill levels.
The DIII Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Special Olympics partnered up in January of 2011, encouraging Division III institutions and conference offices to build and maintain mutually-beneficial and sports-centric friendships with the Special Olympic organization.
Albertus Magnus will continue to focus on this partnership between the NCAA and Special Olympics and agrees with both parties on their campaign that there are shared values between both organizations and life-long benefits from working together.
About NCAA Division III: The college experience is a time of learning and growth - a chance to follow passions and develop potential. For student-athletes in Division III, all of this happens most importantly in the classroom and through earning an academic degree. The Division III experience provides for passionate participation in a competitive athletic environment, where student-athletes push themselves to excellence and build upon their academic success with new challenges and life skills. And student-athletes are encouraged to pursue the full passions and find their potential through a comprehensive educational experience.
About Special Olympics: Special Olympics is an international non-profit organization that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to nearly 3.5 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition health screenings, and other related programs. Special Olympics now takes place every day, changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in all regions of the world and in community playgrounds and ball fields in every small neighborhood’s backyard. Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship.