The Special Olympics movement, founded in the 1950s and 60s by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, has made its way into schools at a global rate.

Across the country, institutions integrate the activities and values of Special Olympics into their differentiation programs, involving students who volunteer and students with special needs. The movement has grown especially important at New Trier, where over 40 students participate as athletes and over 140 participate as coaches.

At New Trier, one is eligible to join the coaching ranks of Special Olympics if they volunteer with ELS (Enriching Lives Through Service) during one of their free periods.

All sophomore, junior, and senior students can participate. To ensure that all students are prepared for Special Olympics coaching, New Trier requires that they complete the “Protective Behaviors” training provided by the Special Olympics group.

This educates the athletes, families, and volunteers of Special Olympics in the appropriate ways to treat each other with respect and to avoid abuse in all capacities.

The history of Special Olympics is thus grounded in acceptance and the proper treatment of peers. By beginning the organization in her own backyard, Eunice Kennedy Shriver made an example of how effective the personalization of her process could be.

Prolonged by the Kennedy family, the fair treatment and rights of all people with special needs would become a staple of American values.

Back at New Trier, Special Olympics is a thriving and popular community of invested people.

“We meet on Tuesday nights from 6 – 7 pm all year long.  We play volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter and do track and field in the spring.  We also have tournaments for basketball 2 – 3 times per year, and a regional track meet to qualify for the State Special Olympics tournament in June down in Bloomington, Illinois.  We take the whole team down state for a weekend. We have been downstate for basketball and soccer in the past, and we have athletes competing in track and field down state every year,” said Martin Laffey, a faculty sponsor of Special Olympics.

The organization has existed at New Trier for many years and the relationships forged between members are henceforth long lasting.

“I love to see the relationships between the peer helpers and the athletes.  They become true friends,” said Kay Pothast, faculty sponsor of Special Olympics who took the program over from a retiring teacher twelve years ago.

Special Olympics has proven to change lives, not just of its athletes, but of its coaches, its sponsors, and its fans. The people who get involved stay involved for a long time, like Kay Pothast, who has been coaching Special Olympics since college, and Martin Laffey, who volunteered to help Pothast eleven years ago at New Trier and has not abandoned the effort.

The most important change is for the athletes. “Growth is made by all the athletes.  Many gain unbelievable confidence and their social skills improve,” said Pothast.

To see and support New Trier Special Olympics, there is a basketball tournament open to all in November or December this year. Watch out for the date.