It was a very exciting Saturday as 30 Frenship students and 10 Frenship alumni competed in the Special Olympics Bowling Competition. Aaron Tomlinson, Frenship Special Olympics Coach, believes that Special Olympic events, such as bowling, allow these athletes to develop and strengthen various skills.
“Special Olympic events such as bowling are very important for our students! Our students not only learn new skills, strengths and abilities, but they are able to find joy, confidence, and a sense of belonging,” said Tomlinson.
At the competition there were six gold medals, seven silver medals, eight bronze medals, five 4th place ribbons, two 5th place ribbons, and one 6th place ribbon awarded to Frenship athletes.
In addition to the awards earned, another memorable part of the competition is the number of supporters who cheer on the athletes as they compete. The students approach the lanes with confidence and joy as they hear their name being chanted from the sidelines.
“Our student athletes have a lot of support from family and friends,” said Tomlinson. “After each turn, our athletes have the biggest smiles on their faces when they hear their fans yelling their name and clapping for them. Some of our students even begin to dance and yell because they are so excited!”
Frenship has been participating in Special Olympics bowling for over 25 years. Each year there are more students who hear about how fun the competition is and decide to join and participate.
“My favorite part of this event each year is seeing our athletes succeed in what they set out to accomplish and the smiles on their faces when they are awarded their medals,” said Tomlinson.
Each year there are four events that special education students can participate in through the Special Olympics. That includes bocce, bowling, basketball, and track. The athletes will begin practicing for basketball next. The Special Olympics Basketball competition will be hosted at Frenship High School in February. Further information to come.
Tomlinson wants to thank everyone involved in helping with the Special Olympics. He feels grateful to play a role in creating impactful experiences for students.
“I just want to say thank you to all of the individuals who help make these events successful. Thank you to our parents and guardians who get all of the paperwork filled out and get our athletes to the competitions. Thank you to our staff at Frenship ISD for helping us get information to our parents, helping us with practices, and supporting and volunteering at our area competitions. Thank you to our administration for supporting us and finding the funds for anything we need,” said Tomlinson.