Forty-three of Douglas Association for Retarded Citizens (DARC) members are headed to Tucson this weekend where they will compete in a qualifying meet at Amphitheater High School trying to improve their qualifying times in track and field for the upcoming state Special Olympics scheduled for April 26-28 at Mesa Community College in Mesa.
 Jeremy Dueal (left), Alex Delgado (center) and Travis Johnson (right) work on their sprints in preparation for Saturday's Special Olympic Trials in Tucson. Trisha Maldonado/Douglas Dispatch |
The DARC members have participated in the Special Olympics for about 35 years. “Special Olympics allow people with disabilities the opportunity to win,” Gary Clark, DARC Executive Director said in a recent interview.
Special Olympics provide every person with intellectual disabilities a place of welcome, acceptance and the chance to be their best.
“The idea is to give them the skills they need to improve their quality of life,” said Angel Acosta, who has been a volunteer coach for the last 10 years.
"I retired from coaching Little League and was approached by a person that was coaching the Special Olympics, to be an assistant coach," he said when asked why he got involved. "After three weeks of being the assistant I became the head coach and have been doing it since then."
Training for the Special Olympics, enhances focus and gives participants a structure for learning important lessons about perseverance, endurance and setting goals.
“It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun.” Acosta said.
Special Olympics is often the only place where people with intellectual disabilities have an opportunity to participate in their communities and develop belief in themselves. “The idea is being part of a team, you’re going to need for the rest of your life, you’re going need to be part of organization that helps and supports each other and that’s what we do,” Clark said.
Special Olympics competition is open to every person with intellectual disabilities who is at least eight years of age. The oldest person to compete in the Special Olympics from Douglas was 77 years old. Clark did not have his name or the year he competed available at the time of the interview.
Clark went on to say the participants are placed in their respective heats according to their abilities not their age.
“It’s really a thrill to see these people win.” he said.
“The people we work with give 110 percent,” Acosta added.
For athletes, Special Olympics sports provide a gateway to empowerment, competence, acceptance and joy. The lessons learned in Special Olympics also impact their life skills.
“We are teaching them responsibility, respect, they know they have to behave and they all do it because they look for to the trips,” Acosta said.
DARC’s vision is to be able to participate in more events. The Special Olympics is year round and DARC would like to have a Bowling, Cheer teams. They currently have a swim team with 16 athletics competing in July and a basketball team with eight athletics competing.
“There are a lot of events a lot of sports and one thing we are lacking is volunteers, we need more volunteer coach; it would be good to have a coach for every sport,” Acosta stated.
“Our biggest job is not really training the athletics, its training the community to except the athletics as a human being and a part of society actually a very good part of society,” Clark said
Clark added, “I get more out of it then I put into it, they ability to being around people who really care and know that they need you is really important”
Upcoming DARC events are: a Carne Asada on April 20 at Border Mart; The Law Enforcement Torch Run on April 24, and the Mother’s Day Cake Auction on May 13.
If you would like to volunteer for the Special Olympic please contact Gary Clark at 520-364-7473.
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