Empowering Athletes

Highlights from a Successful Student-Run Special Olympics Tournament

For 37 years, The Governor’s Academy has proudly hosted the Massachusetts Special Olympics Soccer State Tournament. This event hosts over 50 teams, including 800 athletes and coaches, and an 89-member management team of heads and shadows. Special Olympics Massachusetts offers athletes with intellectual disabilities an inclusive space to train and compete. Surrounded by fans and families, the event, held on a beautiful November Sunday, celebrated the athletes' unique talents and skillful determination.

Three co-directors, Sophia Ahmed ‘25, Christina Einig ‘25, and Khanh Vu ‘25, worked diligently to ensure the event ran smoothly and was enjoyed by all. Preparations began as early as this summer and continued throughout the fall with the co-directors planning the details of the event each afternoon with faculty advisor Aaron Mandel P’27, holding bi-weekly meetings with the student heads and shadows, and hosting an all-school volunteer training during the week before the event.

For the first time in multiple years, the Massachusetts Special Olympics Soccer State Tournament expanded to a fourth venue on campus: the Alfond Class of 1967 Turf and the Anderson Lower Fields. In past years, only Sager Bowl, Porter Field, and Morse Field were used, and the expansion helped to accommodate 7v7 games, compared to the previous year’s 5v5 games. This year, three local food trucks (Fat Belly BBQ, Metzy’s, and Whoopie Wagon) returned to campus to feed participants and their families.

This year, our volunteers received generous praise from both Special Olympics management and athletes’ families. One athlete’s parents commented, “The energy this year is infectious. I love seeing volunteers cheering the athletes on and students’ laughter on the sidelines.” A Massachusetts Special Olympics Soccer staff member also acknowledged in a social media post, “There is nothing more remarkable than the bond between an athlete and a student volunteer.”

A Governor’s faculty volunteer noted, “Olympic Town was the place to be! The constant dance parties and positive vibes brightened the day for both athletes and students.” Olympic Town, a station where athletes could play games or unwind, was the heart of the event. From outdoor game Kan Jam to vibrant dance parties, student and faculty volunteers filled the station with joy and laughter for all the athletes.