CORUNNA – The Sarnia Storm, Special Olympics Sarnia’s soccer team, was able to practice a handful of times last fall amid the pandemic.
“But that was about it,” said Tana Manchester, the organization’s community co-ordinator. “Not too much and it wasn’t the same, we had a lot of restrictions.”
That finally changed Saturday when, after a three-year hiatus, Special Olympics Sarnia was finally able to host a Hometown Games soccer tournament Saturday at Corunna Athletic Park. With teams from London and St. Thomas in town, there were medals on the line, but the main goal was to get the Storm back on the field and have some fun.
“I’m just happy that they’re out there and they’re having fun,” Manchester said. “They’re just having a great time.”
Dan Robar, 40, from Sarnia said it was nice to get back on the field in a competitive game after three years.
“I like it here,” he said. “We play hard.”
Kian O’Keefe, 14, from Point Edward was proud of how his team played against London.
“It was perfect,” he said. “We played really well.”
Hometown Games is an opportunity for athletes to compete and have fun in an all-inclusive environment, according to Special Olympics Ontario’s website. They’re locally driven events, but with the support and backing of the provincial organization.
They’re also a prerequisite to attend qualifiers and provincials, Manchester noted.
The Sarnia Storm was formed in 2017 and has a mix of players in their teens to their 40s.
“We’ve added to it over the years as people age into it and find out about us,” Manchester said.
Special Olympics Sarnia, aiming to provide athletic opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities in Sarnia-Lambton, also organizes track and field, basketball, floor hockey, bowling, powerlifting, swimming and fitness programs.
“I do powerlifting, too.” Robar said. “I like sports.”
During Saturday’s soccer tournament, all teams played three games, with medals determined by a points system instead of playoffs.
“Just because of the heat and we wanted to keep it condensed,” Manchester said.