As the students and staff of Belmont Hill have begun to fall back into the rhythm of the school year, so have the Special Olympics on campus. The Special Olympics is an organization that works with over five million athletes and coaches worldwide. The program offers more than thirty Olympic-style sports and over 100,000 competitions and games year-round. Last fall, with the help of Mrs. Phinney and upper school students T.Z. Snail ’26, Tommy Rupley ’25, and Max Roman ’25, Belmont Hill kicked off its official weekly Special Olympics flag football games, bringing athletes and teams from around the state. This within itself was a great accomplishment, as bringing flag football to the Belmont Hill campus marked the first time Belmont Hill has directly volunteered for the Special Olympics for almost a decade. Over the eight-week season, Belmont Hill students volunteered as referees for games, stocked and manned a snack tent, and, most importantly, created strong connections with the athletes. According to Jack Santonelli ’26, volunteering with Special Olympics “was an extremely enlightening experience. The athletes wholeheartedly cared about their practices and games and strove to better themselves. I gained very valuable friendships with the athletes, and would many times be swarmed with all ‘my buddies’ trying to talk to me.”
Following the successful fall, Mrs. Phinney, T.Z. Snail ’26, Rylan Dean ’26, and Max Roman ’25 put in motion more opportunities to volunteer with the Special Olympics program and Belmont S.P.O.R.T. (Special Programs Organized for Recreation Time). Belmont Hill students helped with floor hockey and basketball in the winter, and swimming, volleyball, and tennis in the spring. Unlike flag football, these opportunities were hosted in various locations around Belmont, and Belmont Hill’s involvement with the Special Olympics began to branch out.
With a host of new events, an influx of volunteers hurried to sign up for opportunities to help out. Groups of three or four students per sport volunteered on weekly schedules to connect with athletes and the program. Belmont Hill volunteers further built the bonds they had made with athletes the year prior.
Much work has been put into recreating last year’s success in supporting the Special Olympics. With the first three weeks of the flag football season already kicked off, this fall has been off to a successful start. Like last year, Belmont Hill has hosted weekly flag football games and provided eager student volunteers. The athletes and volunteers interact as if there was no intermission from the summer to fall, and new memories are being made each week.
Students, be on the lookout for emails about the program and how to get involved. If you have any questions on the Special Olympics or ways to get involved, please reach out to Mrs. Phinney and T.Z. Snail ’26 for more information.
