Different seasons have different meanings for everyone, but for Special Olympics New Jersey “Spring” means league play and area competitions for basketball and bowling, concluding with the traditional Spring Games tournaments!
This year marked the 20th time the Spring Games basketball tournament was held in Wildwood, NJ. During the Opening Ceremony at the Wildwoods Convention Center, our hosts were presented with a commemorative plaque to show our appreciation for the sustained amazing support from the town, the hotels, and all the venues. Thank you!
54 teams, consisting of 573 athletes, qualified for the Spring Games on March 29 – 30, and competed in a total of 78 matches for gold medals and bragging rights.
In addition to the competition, SONJ offered health components consisting of Strong Minds, Performance Stations, and Special Smiles. Strong Minds provides emotional health screenings and Special Smiles provides oral screenings, cleanings, and treatment.
The Colgate Dental RV was a big hit, offering oral health education. The performance stations were very popular as well. Strong Minds saw 12 athletes in the evening, who received a nice Zen place to visit and had more one-on-one time with the Strong Minds volunteers to address coping strategies for stress.
- Strong Minds – 12 screenings
- Performance Stations – 100 activities
- Special Smiles – 50 screenings
For the first time since the pandemic, the Young Athletes event was brought back to Spring Games in Wildwood. 14 athletes and their families, took the opportunity to be introduced to a variety of sports skills, such as basketball and bowling. The success of this event enables growth in the area, and the creation of a new community program in Ocean City NJ.
The following weekend, April 5 – 6, Spring Games bowling rolled along. This event, too, was hosted by a long term partner: Bowlero of North Brunswick, NJ. On Saturday, April 5, 81 teams of 4, consisting of 26 Unified and 55 traditional, played 3 games each in their quest for medals. They were followed up by 286 bowlers in the individual competition on Sunday, April 6, who also played 3 games each.
Congratulations to all athletes and partners, and thanks to all volunteers and supporters for another successful Spring Games. Bring on summer season!