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Lindsay Harding, a WBCA/Kodak Women's All-American from Duke, poses with Breyden Hatfield from Special Olympics Ohio. |
Special Olympics Georgia and Ohio (USA) athletes practiced their dribbling skills, vertical jumps and free throws at Hoop City during the NCAA Final Four events at the Men's and Women's National Basketball Championships in Atlanta and Cleveland.
In Atlanta, Georgia, 36 Special Olympics athletes and 15 coaches attended a two-hour clinic, where the Men's Final Four was held. Approximately 20 men's basketball coaches from across the United States served as clinicians. Special Olympics Georgia was able to use the clinic as a re-certification class for basketball coaches that needed the training. “These kids are not only learning basketball skills, they're learning team work, good sportsmanlike conduct, how to work together with people they don't even know,” said Deb Turner, who runs the NCAA's YES clinics. YES stands for Youth Education Through Sports.
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The women's basketball coaching staffs from Miami of Ohio and UNC Asheville pose for a picture with members of the WBCA/Kodak Women's All America team. |
Special Olympics Ohio athletes, WBCA/Kodak Women's All-Americans and basketball coaches from Miami of Ohio and UNC Asheville pose for a group picture after the clinic at the Women's Final Four in Cleveland. |
Similarly, in Cleveland, Ohio, 38 Special Olympics athletes and 20 coaches attended a two-hour clinic, where the Women's Final Four was held. The women's basketball coaching staffs from University of North Carolina Asheville and Miami of Ohio University were responsible for running the clinic. In addition, seven members of the Kodak Women's All-America team participated.
Athletes at both clinics worked on different basketball skills at various stations for the majority of the clinic. After completing the individual stations portion of the clinic, the groups participated in team play. Now, Special Olympics athletes in Georgia and Ohio have new tools to take back to their teams as they prepare for their next Special Olympics basketball competition.
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Maria Fantanarosa (Head Women's Coach at Miami of Ohio) shows Special Olympics Ohio athletes how to hold a basketball when shooting. |
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