A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018
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SPECIAL OLYMPICS ROLLS ON WITH BOCCE
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI
Mary Jones concentrates while preparing to throw a bocce ball during a recent Special Olympics practice at Kennison
Field in Hermiston. Her doubles teammate, Annie Garza, looks on.
STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI
Sally Nesselrodt follows through after throwing a bocce ball during a Special Olympics practice at Kennison Field in
Hermiston.
Excitement was in the air
recently as Special Olym-
pics athletes practiced
bocce at Kennison Field
in Hermiston.
It provided the ath-
letes with an opportunity
to get a feel for artificial
turf in preparation for the
Special Olympics Oregon
Summer Games, which
are in July at Oregon
State University. Kristi
Smalley, communications
manager for Hermiston/
Pendleton Special Olym-
pics Local Program #510,
said the playing surface
makes a difference in
how the ball rolls.
Sally
Nesselrodt’s
smile was as bright as
the red tank top and
shorts she wore during
the June 5 practice. The
spry 81-year-old looped
her arm through Shannon
Raymond’s as they made
their way to the other end
of the court. Raymond
not only provides Nessel-
rodt with assistance, they
are teammates as they
compete in the Special
Olympics Unified Sports.
In addition to having fun
and promoting physi-
cal health, the program
brings people together as
it pairs Special Olympi-
ans with athletes without
intellectual disabilities to
compete with other Uni-
fied Sports teams.
Bocce was added as
part of the local Special
Olympics training pro-
gram in 2008. The sport,
Smalley said, provided
opportunities for some
athletes who found par-
ticipating in some of
the activities were too
demanding due to age,
vision impairments or
ambulation difficulties.
“It was a godsend for
our athletes that have
mobility issues,” Smalley
said.
On an adjacent bocce
ball court, Lyall Arey,
Jilli Smalley, Annie
Garza and Mary Jones
were attentive as head
bocce coach Jessica Sex-
ton gave direction. Jones
also took on the role as
a cheerleader, providing
encouragement as oth-
ers took turns throwing a
bocce ball.
“Way to go Annie,”
Jones said to her doubles
teammate.
And, it didn’t matter
to Jones if it was a team-
mate or a competitor who
was approaching the line,
she called out words of
encouragement.
“I love how posi-
tive and encouraging
they are,” Sexton said..
“There’s competition, but
it’s clearly friendly.”
Misty Larsen, agreed,
saying she likes compet-
ing with others. However,
what she enjoys most is
that it provides another
opportunity for her to
hang out with friends. She
also serves as an athlete
representative on the Spe-
cial Olympics Council.
Lorraine Bance, who
has worked with Larsen
for 16 years through the
Eastern Oregon Support
Services Brokerage, said
Larsen interacts well with
others and likes reach-
ing out to help her fellow
athletes. Larsen, Bance
said, takes her role very
seriously.
“If an athlete has a dis-
pute or a concern, Misty
will report it in a meet-
ing,” she said.
Larsen has participated
in Special Olympics for
more than 20 years, both
in Umatilla and Wasco
counties. Bance said that
involvement has contrib-
uted to Larsen’s over-
all success and indepen-
dence, including learning
responsibilities and being
organized.
Sexton
first
got
involved with Special
Olympics two years ago
after Smalley shared
about the program with
Sexton’s parents.
She started out coach-
ing basketball. However,
when Smalley found out
Sexton was familiar with
bocce, she recruited her
as head coach for the
sport.
A fifth grade teacher
at Sunset Elementary
School, Sexton is famil-
iar with instructing oth-
ers. While she didn’t par-
ticipate in competitive
bocce, Sexton has expe-
rience with the game
through playing with her
friends.
“It’s one of those
things you keep learning
as you go,” she said.
For information about
participating or vol-
unteering with Spe-
cial
Olympics,
call
local program coordina-
tor Angela Scheider at
541-314-0166.
As Special Olympics turns 50, local coaches look back
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
In its early years, the local Spe-
cial Olympics program was all
DIY.
“We decided that we could do
a track meet here in Hermiston,”
said Mary Bousquet. “It was just a
lot of people saying, ‘Yeah, I’ll do
that.’ People were always willing
to support it.”
Although not initially affili-
ated with the Oregon program,
Bousquet and Doris Boatright ral-
lied the effort during the 1982-83
school year. In the spring of 1983,
more than 100 students from sur-
rounding towns participated as
Hermiston hosted its first Spe-
cial Olympics track meet. They
ordered generic ribbons from a
catalog to award athletes, local stu-
dents wore purple “Watch Hermis-
ton Grow” T-shirts and Spike Pier-
sol dressed up in an A & W bear
suit for the event.
Special Olympics was founded
50 years ago by Eunice Kennedy
Shriver, who strived to create
opportunities for people like her
sister, Rosemary, who had an intel-
lectual disability. The idea grew
from a summer day camp held in
Shriver’s backyard. The first Inter-
national Olympic Games were
held in 1968 in Chicago, and state
chapters had been forming in the
years that followed.
Now in their 70s, Bousquet
and Boatright, Hermiston High
School class of 1958 graduates, are
just as enthusiastic about what is
now Hermiston/Pendleton Special
Olympics Local Program #510.
Bousquet learned about the
Special Olympics program as a
first-year special education teacher
in the Hermiston School District.
In May 1979, she was told that stu-
dents would be traveling to East-
ern Oregon University to partici-
pate in a track meet. In preparation,
Bousquet and others worked with
students to practice track and field
events.
The following year, she
recruited Boatright as an assistant
in the special education program.
Along with her classroom duties,
Boatright got involved with Spe-
cial Olympics.
Evidently, Bousquet said, they
ruffled some feathers with Ore-
gon’s Special Olympics program
by organizing their own events and
fundraising efforts. In the spring
of 1984, an official with the state
office approached her in the school
parking lot.
“I told him we had been try-
ing to get ahold of Oregon Special
Olympics. So, we break the law
and they show up,” Bousquet said
with a chuckle.
Bousquet said he explained that
any money raised by local Spe-
cial Olympics programs needed
to be deposited into the state fund.
As a sanctioned program, the state
office began providing official rib-
bons and other supports.
Nearly 40 years later, the pro-
gram continues to grow — offer-
ing year-round sports training and
competitions at no charge for ath-
letes. More than 125 athletes par-
ticipate each year — some in mul-
tiple sports — ranging from 97 in
athletics (track and field) to 15 in
both golf and bocce. Other current
sports include basketball, power-
lifting and bowling. In the fall, they
will launch an aquatics program.
“I think it’s wonderful because
a lot of these athletes would never
get the opportunity to participate in
regular sports,” Boatright said. “I
think sports are wonderful for kids
and adults. And that’s why I’m still
doing Special Olympics because I
love it.”
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
(From Left) Special Olympians Jilli Smalley, Camron Goldie, coach Mary
Bousquet, coach Doris Boatright and Misty Larsen.
Although Bousquet bowed out
from coaching a few years ago,
she still supports the program. In
addition to the competitions and
the health benefits of participation,
she said the social aspect is just as
important — especially for adult
athletes who don’t have school
activities to connect with others.
“It isn’t just sports ... it’s to par-
ticipate and have fun and to be able
to socialize,” Bousquet said. “We
used to go to state and the dance
was the most important thing.”
For information about par-
ticipating or volunteering, call
local program coordinator Angela
Scheider at 541-314-0166.