Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Holds Clinic for Special Olympics
10/19/2015 9:48:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind - Cook Hall was busier than normal this weekend.
The Indiana women's basketball team opened its doors to athletes from the Monroe County Special Olympics for three hours Sunday, giving the Special Olympians an opportunity to practice with, get coached by and then play against members of the IU women's basketball team.
The "Candy Stripe Crew" spent time watching film, shooting, defending, passing and dribbling during drills being taught by players and members of the Indiana coaching staff. After practicing, the Special Olympians played a pair of games against each other before ending with two games against the Hoosiers themselves.
The Special Olympians won both games.
"Today was an exciting day," said Denise Brown, the coordinator for the Monroe County Special Olympics. "I know for a fact that they're going to be talking about this for a long, long time."
Indiana women's basketball Director of Operations Liz Honegger first proposed the idea of holding a basketball clinic with the Special Olympics in a meeting with head coach Teri Moren at the end of last season.
Honegger said she's always had a passion for working with people with disabilities and wanted to stay involved in Bloomington. In college, Honegger spent one summer as an intern with the Wood County Special Olympics at Bowling Green and later spent two years working in a special education classroom.
Moren said she was behind Honegger from the moment she proposed the idea of getting involved with the Special Olympics. She gave Honegger the freedom to plan the event as she wished and said it was something she hoped would become an annual fixture with the program.
"It was a blast," Honegger said. "It's fun for me to be able to reconnect with some things I've done in my past because I really, truly am passionate about it."
Honegger's passion appeared to rub off on the players, who Honegger said might have had more fun than the Special Olympians.
During scrimmages, the courts were filled with equal part laughter and competition. One player, who sophomore guard Jess Walter said they called 'Billy Smooth,' impressed her when he drove toward the basket, switched hands midway through his move and converted on a layup.
Billy Smooth came to play.
"They are so joyful, and it just feeds into us," Walter said. "I get so much happiness from doing this. It just feeds me and it kind of reminds us why we do what we do."
Moren said she hopes the Candy Stripe Crew returns next year to participate in a clinic at Assembly Hall once the renovations are complete. This year's first event brought in the majority of Monroe County's own Special Olympics basketball teams, as well as a few other athletes who showed interest in learning basketball.
"This is something I'm committed to doing every year with the help of the Special Olympics to make this something where it becomes really special," Moren said.
At the end of the clinic, the players and coaches gathered together at mid-court to debrief their day.
But before they huddled together one last time, Moren had a question to ask.
"How many of you will come back next year?"
Every hand went up.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind - Cook Hall was busier than normal this weekend.
The Indiana women's basketball team opened its doors to athletes from the Monroe County Special Olympics for three hours Sunday, giving the Special Olympians an opportunity to practice with, get coached by and then play against members of the IU women's basketball team.
The "Candy Stripe Crew" spent time watching film, shooting, defending, passing and dribbling during drills being taught by players and members of the Indiana coaching staff. After practicing, the Special Olympians played a pair of games against each other before ending with two games against the Hoosiers themselves.
The Special Olympians won both games.
"Today was an exciting day," said Denise Brown, the coordinator for the Monroe County Special Olympics. "I know for a fact that they're going to be talking about this for a long, long time."
Indiana women's basketball Director of Operations Liz Honegger first proposed the idea of holding a basketball clinic with the Special Olympics in a meeting with head coach Teri Moren at the end of last season.
Honegger said she's always had a passion for working with people with disabilities and wanted to stay involved in Bloomington. In college, Honegger spent one summer as an intern with the Wood County Special Olympics at Bowling Green and later spent two years working in a special education classroom.
Moren said she was behind Honegger from the moment she proposed the idea of getting involved with the Special Olympics. She gave Honegger the freedom to plan the event as she wished and said it was something she hoped would become an annual fixture with the program.
"It was a blast," Honegger said. "It's fun for me to be able to reconnect with some things I've done in my past because I really, truly am passionate about it."
Honegger's passion appeared to rub off on the players, who Honegger said might have had more fun than the Special Olympians.
During scrimmages, the courts were filled with equal part laughter and competition. One player, who sophomore guard Jess Walter said they called 'Billy Smooth,' impressed her when he drove toward the basket, switched hands midway through his move and converted on a layup.
Billy Smooth came to play.
"They are so joyful, and it just feeds into us," Walter said. "I get so much happiness from doing this. It just feeds me and it kind of reminds us why we do what we do."
Moren said she hopes the Candy Stripe Crew returns next year to participate in a clinic at Assembly Hall once the renovations are complete. This year's first event brought in the majority of Monroe County's own Special Olympics basketball teams, as well as a few other athletes who showed interest in learning basketball.
"This is something I'm committed to doing every year with the help of the Special Olympics to make this something where it becomes really special," Moren said.
At the end of the clinic, the players and coaches gathered together at mid-court to debrief their day.
But before they huddled together one last time, Moren had a question to ask.
"How many of you will come back next year?"
Every hand went up.
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