For one afternoon, end-zone celebrations were encouraged rather than penalized. The stands at Bridgeforth Stadium were empty as the football team took the field Saturday afternoon to meet some other athletes that awaited them. The athletes were not there to compete with the Dukes, but to marvel at them. The athletes the JMU team met on the field represented Virginia Special Olympics.
The second annual “Day with the Dukes” had about 60 Special Olympics athletes from various parts of Virginia join at JMU to spend time with student athletes. The event was put on by the JMU Athletic Department, who had JMU athletes as well as Psychology Peer Advising students.
Smiles and laughs were everywhere as the excited Special Olympics athletes spent time on the football field meeting football players, throwing the football around and taking pictures.
“The number one thing is that this is a small way the athletic program can give back to the community,” said JMU head football coach Mickey Matthews, who was on hand to welcome the Special Olympics members. “Our athletes, once they get here, enjoy it more than anyone else.”
Matthews joked around with the Special Olympics athletes, asking the Special Olympics athletes if they wanted to play quarterback for him to which every hand instantly shot up.
“I guess it’s a good thing everyone wants to take my job; they’re excited to be here,” JMU quarterback Rodney Landers said.
Football players spent more than an hour posing for pictures, signing autographs and playing with the Special Olympics athletes. The Special Olympics athletes were taught to throw, punt catch, hold the ball “high and tight” when they run and how to make a defender miss.
“It means the world to be here,” Landers said. “They’re out here, they support us, this is our chance to give back and it’s a great honor to be out here with them.”
Parents were touched to see the attention their children were getting from the JMU athletes.
“To see my daughter become comfortable with all these athlete grown-ups, and to play with them and to see they like to play too is everything,” said Kelly Eplee of Charlottesville. “One of the best things is watching the students and how their comfort level has grown; they’re having fun just playing, and it’s just a pure joy.”
After spending time with the football team the Special Olympics athletes moved into Godwin Hall, where members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams led the athletes in basketball drills including passing, free-throws and defense. The event concluded with a picnic and watching the Dukes defeat North Carolina Central.
“The athletics department did such a great job taking this and running with it last year there were like four or five football players and this year the whole team was there,” said Evan Witt, a senior with Psychology Peer Advising. “Last year the Special Olympics said this event was the best Special Olympics event in Virginia, and this year is an improvement on that.”
