Springfield College Hosts Special Olympics Qualifying Volleyball Tournament

The Springfield College Department of Sport Management and Recreation, in collaboration with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts, hosted a volleyball tournament at Blake Arena and the Field House inside the Wellness and Recreation Complex on Sunday, April 22. Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper welcomed the participants during the opening ceremony.

The event was in its seventh year, with a new class of graduate students in the sport management program handling the operations in conjunction with Jon Scully, the sports manager for Special Olympics Massachusetts.

More than 30 teams and 400 participants from throughout New England took part in this tournament.  This marked the seventh-consecutive year that the Department of Sport Management and Recreation partnered with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts to host this event on campus.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Special Olympics provides year-round sports training, athletic competition, and other health-related programming to 12,168 children and adults with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics athletes are given continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics Athletes and the community. More information is available at specialolympicsma.org.