Marshall Starke Special Olympics readying for fall sports

Special Olympics Indiana for Marshall and Starke counties is in the heat of the Fall season!  Approximately 60 athletes are practicing Softball, Equestrian, Cornhole, and Flag Football. Practices are going on across Marshall and Starke Counties almost every night of the week. 

Cornhole practices take place at the Church of the Heartland in Plymouth with 26 athletes, coached by Rhonda Owens and Todd Hooper. These athletes have over 8 weeks of practice before competing at sectionals in Caston on September 14th. 

Ten athletes are participating in Equestrian this year with practices at the Golden Horseshoe Saddle Club in Knox.  Amazing volunteers bring their horses for the athletes to practice with.  These same horses are going down to Danville for the State Tournament on August 22^nd and 23^rd.  This year they have athletes competing in Team Relay, Flags, Poles, Spoons, Barrels, Western Trail, Horse Part Identification, Grooming and Tacking, and Showmanship. 

Twenty Special Olympic athletes are participating in Softball with practices held at the Koontz Lake Lions Softball field and Plymouth Wesleyan Church in Plymouth.  They have a team for the competition, and athletes who participate in a skills competition involving the fundamentals of Softball.

Ten athletes are participating in Flag Football, and practices are held at Hard Knox Gym in Knox twice a week and coached by Justin Parker and Brenner Cruce.

They are appreciative of all the venues, coaches, volunteers, and horse donors for their contributions to Special Olympics!  Joe Short, Assistant County Coordinator, said, “It is because of all of you that we can provide this amazing opportunity to all these amazing athletes right here in our hometowns.  Thank you all!”

Along with the fall sports, they also have some fun fundraising going on.  One of the exciting Special Olympics Indiana annual fundraisers is the Plane Pull.  Marshall Starke Special Olympics will again be putting a team together to head down to Indianapolis Airport to compete in pulling a Boeing 757 jetliner.

Special Olympics of Marshall and Starke Counties is looking for more team members.  They need a few more Special Olympics athletes to join the team.  If you would like to support the team, you can do so at:  2025 Plane Pull Challenge

If you are interested in coaching or volunteering with Special Olympics, contact Joe Short at MarshallStarkeSO@gmail.com