By Eshan Dalal and Jenna Ciccotelli, news staff
Solomon Court was buzzing with enthusiasm as the players hit the hardwood, but despite the presence of Northeastern’s basketball team, cheerleading squad and pep band, this was not an ordinary basketball game.
On April 6, Northeastern hosted its second annual Special Spirit basketball game in Cabot Physical Education Center. Special Spirit was first created at the University of Massachusetts Lowell to give Special Olympics athletes a chance to play as Division I athletes. The 2017 match pitted Whitney Academy, a residential treatment center in East Freetown, Massachusetts, as Team Blackout, against Lynn, Massachusetts Public Schools who took the court as Team Red.
Meredith Clark, a third-year health science major, has volunteered with Northeastern’s Special Spirit organization since 2016. She serves as the outreach and volunteer coordinator and is responsible for recruiting volunteers for the event and spreading the word to boost attendance.
“I had never really been involved with Special Olympics before but I knew about it and thought it was amazing,” she said. “It seemed like a great event.”
Clark said gameday operations began at 3 p.m. as committee members began decorating Solomon Court with balloons, streamers and posters to create the atmosphere that surrounds a Division I game. Volunteers and audience members, which totaled around 500, arrived in waves until tip-off at 6 p.m.
During the first quarter, Team Blackout took a sizeable lead of 15 points while holding Team Red to one basket. Entertainment at the end of the first quarter was a dunk show put on by Northeastern’s basketball team.
The second quarter began with aggressive play from both teams. Team Red was able to move their point total up to eight, compared to Team Blackout’s 21 heading into halftime. The second half began with impressive outside shooting from Team Blackout but Team Red responded with shots coming close or at the rim. However, Team Blackout’s shooting upped the score 38 to 19.
Fourth quarter adjustments by Team Red had the game to single digits as Team Blackout only led by eight, but Team Red could not overcome Team Blackout’s last stand defense as Team Blackout ended up winning the game 44-38.
Kyle Nameth, a sophomore health science major, watched the first Special Spirit game from the stands last year and was inspired to join the planning committee this year. He said the planning committee met weekly to discuss progress before breaking into subcommittees, including raffle and and fundraising committees.
Nameth worked alongside a small group of students on the volunteering committee, using Facebook to reach out to friends who would be interested in setting up and selling concessions during the event. He said around 80 people from different organizations on campus helped before, during and after the game.
“Being able to work on something for months and see it come all the way to the big event was pretty spectacular,” Nameth said.
Freshman political science major Isiah Myers, who also sat in the stands, was impressed by his first Special Spirit game.
“The whole event was inspiring,” he said. “I’m glad I came and can’t wait to come back next year.”
The game raised more than $2,500, an increase of $1,000 from last year’s inaugural game. The funds will be donated directly to the teams to buy special equipment for the players.
Although the score was important, the real reason everyone was out and cheering for these two teams was to give the players the recognition they deserved, program founder Melissa Jacques said.
“The whole event is dedicated to them. All I care about is the athletes having a good time,” said Jacques, a senior psychology major.
Clark said she is looking forward to increasing the campus presence of the Special Spirit game in the future.
“I see it turning into a really great event,” she said. “We hope it grows into something that people look forward to every year, because I know I do. Having it become a Northeastern tradition would be really amazing.”
