Special Olympics basketball tournament on March 22 at Glendale

Players with Tillsonburg’s Special Olympics basketball team have been practicing in preparation for a tournament at Glendale on March 22. Tillsonburg is fielding teams in two different divisions. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The annual Special Olympics Ontario tournament will be held at Glendale High School on March 22.

There are two divisions in Special Olympics tournaments – D Rec and D.

“One’s more for fun and one’s more to learn the skills of basketball,” coach Robert Verhoeve said.

Players have been practicing every Thursday and are hoping to improve on the third-place finishes from last year. Games will take place at Glendale High School on Saturday, March 22.

Verhoeve is the head coach and one of the organizers of the tournament. He is going into his 17th year volunteering with the program, starting when he was 14 for volunteer hours in high school. Laverne Sinden and Bill Towers ran the program for 16 years until Covid hit. Verhoeve started Special Olympics basketball up again last year in Tillsonburg with coordinator Patricia Benoit and coach Matt Bowers.

Verhoeve credited the people as the reason he continues to coach.

“Many athletes have played for years, some since I started volunteering 17 years ago,” he said. “I have made many friends here. I feel appreciated and I genuinely enjoy being a part of this group.”

He also gave credit to the coaching team of Bowers, Jenn Olcsvary, Ron Becht, and former coach Doug Cooper for keeping him interested.

“It’s fun to help each athlete develop and improve at their own pace,” he said. “Seeing these athletes grow a love for the sport is very fulfilling. Special Olympics is about seeing the ability and applauding athletes for what they can do rather than what they cannot.”

Bowers is going into his second year coaching Special Olympics basketball after coaching the sport for 12 years in Oakville.

Player Jamie vanParys spends a lot of his time on the court as point guard, although there are no assigned positions. Going into his third year playing, when asked why he likes it, he answered, “The sportsmanship, the friendship between all the athletes and the friendly competition.”

He is looking forward to the tournament.

“The teams are good, lots of good competition and I feel we have a good team this year,” he said.

Jillian Polfliet has been playing for three years.

“I enjoy getting out and playing,” she said, adding it’s exciting and the competition is fun.

She is also looking forward to the tournament, “just getting to play with everyone.”

For those want to watch, the Tillsonburg D team takes the court at 8:30, 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tillsonburg’s D-Rec team plays at 9, 12 and 1. Bronze and gold medal games follow for both sides, starting at 2:30 for D and 3 for D-Rec.