“Are you excited?” Coppell girls soccer team junior midfielder Zoe Harrison asks a Special Olympian as they line up, ready to run through a tunnel of Cowgirls soccer players clapping for them. As they run through, cheers erupt from volunteers, coaches, community members and friends.
The fifth annual Coppell Unified Special Olympics soccer match was held on Monday at Buddy Echols Field. The special Olympians were split into two teams: Red and Black. In the end, the Red team won, 8-7. One particular stand out player was the Red team’s Jackson who scored a hat trick.
The event was held in collaboration with the Coppell girls soccer team. The Cowgirls ran four sets of drills with the Special Olympian players. This way, the Special Olympians got time to get to know the team and practice before the match.
“Every time soccer and the Unified Special Olympics join together, I always volunteer and help around because everyone’s great,” Harrison said. “I think that it’s really rewarding as an athlete because it’s so nice to help someone else and make them become better.”
According to Coppell High School speech therapist Taylor Mounce, her favorite part of the event is watching the kids cheered on by the community. Community support drives the Special Olympians to grow and do their best.
“We have a set of twins that need a lot of one-on-one support,” Mounce said. “Typically they walk when they’re playing, but every year when it comes to the game, I think it’s because the fans, you see them start sprinting and everybody on the sidelines starts freaking out because it’s something they haven’t seen before. That’s the highlight of my game every year.”
Bonds were apparent on the field as Special Olympians, Cowgirls, coaches and volunteers mingled and playfully ran around the field. For Special Olympians, this event gave them lasting memories with friends they have made through the program.
“My favorite moment of tonight was passing the ball and hanging out with my friends,” Special Olympian Franco Gomez said. “My friends, I really love them. They’re like my sisters and brothers to me.”
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