MUSCATINE, Iowa–Over the pleasantly summery first weekend of August, Special Olympics Muscatine team softball athletes traveled to Ankeny to complete their season at the state tournament. An exciting opportunity for players to compete, learn and socialize, Muscatine’s athletes played hard and placed highly.

At the team softball state tournament, teams compete in round-robin tournaments, usually in divisions of three teams. This leads to most teams playing two games. This summer, Special Olympics Muscatine sent two teams to the state tournament, their A and C teams. Both did well, with the A team earning third place and the C team earning first place. Special Olympics of Muscatine Director Tim Atkins found this especially exciting, as many members of the C team only recently started competing in team softball rather than softball skills. “Our C team is our developmental team, and for them to pull together and win two back-to-back games and win is a big deal,” he explained.

Lucas Hines, a longtime athlete with Special Olympics Muscatine, played on the C team for the first time this year after competing in softball skills previously. He shared he felt, “really good,” about winning first place. He especially liked, “doing different skills,” in addition to the ones he practiced in softball skills.

The Special Olympics Muscatine C softball team earned first place at the Special Olympics State Softball Tournament in Ankeny. Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Muscatine.

The biggest event of the summer for Special Olympics Muscatine, the athletes and coaches alike enjoyed meeting up with competitors from across the state and seeing friends and family members from farther away. “The best part of any state tournament is to get together with the ‘extended family,” said Atkins, noting he found it especially nice to see some supporters of Special Olympics Muscatine from Des Moines and Omaha, Nebraska.

With softball over for the summer, Special Olympics Muscatine looks forward to starting its fall sports which include football skills, flag football, and, for the first time, pickleball. “We’re excited about the intro of it and think it will go well,” remarked Atkins. A blend between ping pong and tennis, pickleball offers the perfect sport for athletes of all abilities and experience levels, as coaches can adapt it to provide an appropriate level of challenge while still keeping it fun.

Late summer also signals the time for the annual unified Special Olympics Muscatine Golf Tournament. A time for athletes to partner with community members to enjoy nine holes of golf and the first responders’ softball game. Atkins encourages anyone interested to participate in either of these events, or to contact the Muscatine Community Y to find ways to volunteer with Special Olympics throughout the year. “We’re always looking for volunteers,” he emphasized. “Reach out–we always want to be engaged with the community.”