BRAINTREE —
Everyone was a winner Friday at St. Coletta’s Day School, as more than 40 Special Olympics athletes showed off their motor skills in the school’s gymnasium.
“Everybody enjoyed the day,” said St. Coletta’s director of education Ron Shepherd. “Students are being recognized for the skills they have. The staff and the students worked hard and it’s a lot of fun.”
Shepherd, who has been with the school for 22 years, said this is the 15th consecutive year St. Coletta’s has hosted Motor Activities Day, which consistently draws 40 to 60 participants.
This year, students from Brockton and Quincy schools joined others from St. Coletta’s, a Braintree school for special-needs students.
“These are the foundation skills,” Shepherd said. “Hopefully they can move on to more traditional sports someday.”
For the event, St. Coletta’s teams with Special Olympics, which brings medals and banners. Volunteers from the Special Olympics Adult Program also work with teachers at each station to make sure everything goes smoothly.
The gymnasium was sectioned into four activity stations, which focused on the athletes’ hand-eye coordination, visual perception and body awareness. The stations included variations of sports such as baseball, bowling and high jump, and one had bubble blowing.
At the end of the event, each participant received a gold medal.
Meanwhile, those on the sidelines also got a kick out of the festivities.
“The biggest kick I get is watching good teachers,” Shepherd said. “They really get a chance to enjoy it.”
Katy Fitzpatrick may be reached at kfitzpat@ledger.com.
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