PITTSBURG — Every once in a while, it does a person — especially a sports fan — good to remember why they fell in love with sports in the first place.
There isn’t a better place to reconnect with that true meaning of the game than at a Special Olympics event. Fittingly enough, on Thursday’s first day of the NFL Draft — the mecca of fan overreaction — Pittsburg State University hosted a track and field meet for area Special Olympians. Among those in attendance were four athletes from Ann Pomatto’s classroom at Iola High School.
“We do it to give the kids an outlet to do activities and sports that are adapted to their specific needs,” Pomatto said.
Dakota Fry, Dakota Knowles, Ty Johnson and Ian Webber all competed in events ranging from a 100-meter race to wheelchair races to softball and tennis ball throws and the long jump.
The group of Iolans comppeted in events ranging from a 100-meter race to wheelchair races to softball and tennis ball throws and the long jump.
“It is great to see them smile and do their sport,” paraprofessional Craig Buchanan said.
The group of Iolans competed hard throughout the day and demonstrated all the values people associate with sports.
Johnson unleashed a huge smile after throwing a softball during the throw.
Webber laughed with the champion in the softball throw as the two athletes stood on the podium and accepted their medals for the event with Webber earning a bronze.
“It is a pleasure (to help),” Selina Wallace, who helps with the team, said. “These kids have heart, and sometimes more heart than regular students. They have the joy of sharing the win with each other. A win for them or a win for their teammates is a win for them all.”
The opportunity for these athletes to compete at events like Pittsburg State hosted on Thursday is thanks to the time and efforts of teachers and volunteers.
That work — along with an added bit of creativity — was on display in the tennis ball throw, where Knowles competed.
Knowles needs assistance throwing the ball for the event, but Pomatto, along with Jason Bates and her father, John Pomatto, designed and built a catapult that allowed Knowles to launch the tennis ball and compete in the event.
“I just wanted to do that, because Dakota has limited fine and gross motor skills, so that makes it really hard for him to hold onto the ball and bring it up over his head while throwing it at the same time,” Pomatto said. “So we built that to allow him to do the event independently.”
Pomatto also thanks the staff at New Klein Lumber for helping make the catapult idea possible.
