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Fallbrook's first Special Olympics team forms

For the very first time, Fallbrook has its own Special Olympics team. Local residents Linda White and Lisa Almendarez worked with the Special Olympics Southern California organization to start the program. Starting in April, 12 to 15 adult athletes began practicing basketball in the multi-purpose room at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Monday afternoons.

Coach Steve Ploetz, assistant coach Kathy Fortenberry, as well as several other volunteers assisted the team, named the Shooting Stars. Its members are all longtime Fallbrook residents who grew up together and now attend the day program at Care-Rite Vocational Services.

As stated on its website, the vision of Special Olympics is “to provide sports and training programs for any individual with intellectual disabilities who chooses to participate, thereby improving their lives and the lives of everyone they touch.”

There is a tournament at the end of each season in which area teams compete against each other.

“The adult team was started late in the season, but we wanted to get started,” said White.

Even though they did not get to participate in the tournament, the athletes got a taste of team sports.

“We don’t know who is having more fun, the athletes or the volunteers!” added White.

The team practiced every Monday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. until June 4, when they played a game against their families, friends and coaches.

The Special Olympics program has a spring season and a fall season. White said new teams will be forming to be ready to go the first week of August for the fall season which runs through November. The other North County teams are in Vista, Oceanside, Escondido and Carlsbad.

The Fallbrook team will also compete against a team from Temecula. Other sports possibilities include bowling, soccer, softball, floor hockey and tennis; teams to be determined by the interest level of the athletes.

The team would welcome more adult athletes to join them, and more volunteers to coach them in the various sports. Anyone interested in participating as an athlete or a coach can call White at (760) 731-7628.

There is also interest in starting a children’s team, for ages 6 to 18, to play basketball since only five players are needed. Michele Wood has volunteered to organize the children’s team.

Wood said the program encourages all the athletes to “learn new skill sets.” She added that “communication is a big deal” with this group. The volunteers have used sign language to help the athletes communicate as three of them are deaf.

Anyone with a child who would like to participate in the Special Olympics program can call Wood at (760) 728-7750. They will be provided with the opportunity “to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community,” according to the program’s mission statement.

They will also join three million Special Olympic athletes in 180 countries worldwide who train and compete in sports year-round.

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