Students host Special Olympics BB tourney

UPDATE: news coverage
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WISH
WXIN

More than 350 special athletes ages 8 to 21 will be on campus Saturday for the 2014 Special Olympics Indiana State Youth Basketball Tournament.

This is the fifth consecutive year that UIndy Kinesiology students have partnered with Special Olympics Indiana to plan, organize and host the statewide tourney. Running the show will be nine students from an Applied Event Management course taught by Associate Professor Jennifer VanSickle. The students are handling logistics, scheduling and the recruitment and supervision of volunteers, as well as designing fun and educational side activities for the athletes to enjoy during the day.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday in Ruth Lilly Fitness Center and Nicoson Hall. Games will begin on the hour, with a break from noon to 1 p.m. for the Special Olympics Indiana Youth Rally and Ceremony, featuring motivational speakers, relay races and other activities. A skills competition is scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m., and awards will be presented following each team’s final game of the day.