It was a sunny day at Bill Hughes Park in Rocklin, California, where we spent a lot of time Special Olympics Northern California Athlete Bud Hawley sat down, ready for the interview. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, time was short as other athletes streamed into the park soccer He practices. Hawley has only been with the team a short time, but he’s already made an impression. With his friendly smile and focused work ethic, he is primed for maximum success.
Despite the time constraints, he agreed to sit down for a few minutes and share his experiences with Special Olympics over nearly three decades. When others finish practice exhausted, Hawley is always upbeat, in a positive mood and ready to play. “When I first got into Special Olympics with a community team, we didn’t play tournaments until 2007, but I loved practicing with my friends,” Hawley enthusiastically recalls the story of how he joined Special Olympics.
Hawley knew the coach from church and was told that A.J Unified football team He was gathered and asked if he wanted to play. He was excited about the idea. He added that he was asked to play goalkeeper, “It’s funny because I was playing football when I was 12, and my coach at the time put me as a goalkeeper as well. And here I am now, 26 years later, still a goalkeeper!”
While Hawley loves the game of soccer and has grown within the Special Olympics community, when asked if there was anything he would like people to know about him, People with intellectual disabilitiesHe responded enthusiastically: “Well, I would say we’re great! Just because we work one way doesn’t mean we don’t want to work another way. Some people assume we’re all the same, but we’re not. Playing in a unified team with normal people means we break down that barrier, and it’s what brings us together.”
As the practice deepened into the night and sunset, Hawley’s words remained true. Special Olympics Unified Sports teams allow individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to compete together on the field, proving that just because an athlete and Unified partner They may think differently, but that doesn’t mean they want or deserve to be treated differently.
At that moment, on the soccer field in Rocklin, California, there were no barriers between the players. They were just athletes.
