The Rocket

Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Jessica Rupell Dan Harlan (left) of the Butler County Cyzlers shows sportsmanship to Dave May of the Venango-Forest Panthers following their two-game set on Sunday at the Special Olympics Western Fall Sectional. Sportsmanship is highly emphasized for all Special Olympics events, where the focus is on staying active rather than winning. [Click to enlarge]

Like it has been for nearly the past two decades, the Pennsylvania Special Olympics Western Fall Sectional has been held at Slippery Rock University and has given people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to showcase their talent in athletic competitions.

This year was no different, with the event being held on Oct. 21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Out of the 18 counties in the western part of the state, 15 different counties, including Allegheny, Butler, Lawrence and Crawford, attended the event, with a total of 285 athletes registered for competition.

Pam Arnhold, an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences and the faculty adviser for the Pennsylvania Special Olympics Western Fall Sectional management team, said the Pennsylvania Special Olympics approached the physical education department of the university years ago and asked if they would host the fall sectional event.

Arnhold said the Western Fall Sectional is a qualifying meet for the state event, to be held at Villanova University from Nov. 2 to 4.

The event, themed this year as "Special Olympics Around the World," began with the opening ceremonies.

"We gather all the athletes, and try to make it as big of a ceremony as possible without making it too long," Arnhold said. "The cheerleaders came, we had some speakers come and some entertainment as well."

Continued...

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