By Nila Harris
Falmouth resident Sam Bryant played in the State Special Olympics Basketball tournament March 8 and 9 at MidAmerica Sports Complex in Louisville, where his team took the silver medal.
This young adult started playing basketball at 12 and has participated in Special Olympics since his teenage years.
Bryant played on the Grant County Jaguars team.
Bryant’s mom, Jodi Workman, explained that Sam started with this team because it was the closest in proximity to where they lived. The team held weekly practices at Grant County Middle School in Dry Ridge.
After a season of playing against teams in their division and region, the Jaguars played in a regional tournament in February before qualifying for state.
Teams qualify for the state tournament through a series of regional tournaments that are held in February in Bowling Green, Florence and Elizabethtown.
“You had to come in first place to qualify for state,” said Beverly Bass, Bryant’s coach.
Bass is not only the coach of the Jaguars but is also the coordinator for Grant County Special Olympics. She began as coordinator in 2008 and has been coaching ever since.
Grant County Special Olympics offers basketball and cheerleading in the winter; soccer, track and field in the spring; softball in the summer; and bowling and flag football in the fall.
Bass coordinates all the sports, plus coaches most of them. “With a lot of help,” she stated.
Zachary, who has played soccer since childhood, assists his mother in coaching the sport.
Bass got involved in Special Olympics because her daughter Amanda, who has special needs, wanted to play basketball, but the closest program was in Florence. Amanda played in that league, and her school friends wanted to play too, but so many couldn’t make the commute.
Bass contacted Special Olympics Kentucky about starting an organization in Grant County. She became the coordinator, starting with one basketball team and one cheer squad.
Now their cheer squad is much bigger and they have four basketball teams. Two of the four teams qualified for state this year.
“Our other Jaguar team is a 3A team, which is the highest skill level. They play high school rules with no modifications,” Bass said.
This team won both of their games and are the state champs.
Bryant’s team won their first game but lost their second game after an intense competition.
Workman said that she loves Special Olympics.
“It gives Sam and his fellow athletes a great opportunity to be active and also to interact with each other.
“Sam has always been fortunate in that his community has always been very supportive in his life. Not all individuals with different abilities have had the same experience,” she said.
Bryant plays basketball and softball at Grant County and bocce and bowling through Special Olympics of Campbell County.
Bass echoes Workman’s statement about Special Olympics: “I absolutely love being a part of this program.”
Her 32-year-old daughter plays one, and sometimes two sports per season.
Bass stated that anyone interested may visit the Grant County Special Olympics Facebook page or contact her at 859-322-7366.
The program is open to individuals 8 and older who have an intellectual disability.