Special Olympics Kentucky holds flag football event in Owensboro

OWENSBORO, Ky (WEHT) – Special Olympics Kentucky held its Region 1 Flag Football Tournament in Owensboro Sunday morning.

125 athletes gathered at Steel Stadium to compete with 13 teams competing to advance to the state flag football competition.

Teams were based on athletes’ skills instead of age, giving more people a chance to experience the game of football.

“Competition is excellent. The other thing it teaches teamwork how to work with a team together and then we really emphasize sportsmanship win or lose that we’re going to be good sports,” said Director and Local Coordinator Kim Johnson, “Then, I really have an opportunity to make friends with people from across the state of Kentucky, so the teams are playing together most of them have played each other before and so they’re excited to see each other when they before they start the game and get started in the competition.”

Four games played all at the same time, all on one big football field, with lots of intense matchups going into overtime.

The stands were filled with family members and athletes from Kentucky Wesleyan.

One athlete, Kevin Rates, says the crowd’s reaction excites him.

“It’s great that the community is able to get involved and able to support us and cheer us on and cheer everybody on and be able to come out and support everybody and get behind all of the teams and cheer for them as well,” he said.

The Special Olympic flag football games has grown in popularity in the community over the years.

“What we’re seeing locally is as our players got them played, they invite friends to come watch,” Johnson said. “I’ve already had a couple people say I want to try this next year, so that’s what we want to do is continue to grow so that any individual with an intellectual disability eight and above, can come out and compete.”

Nine winning teams will advance to the state flag football tournament in Winchester, Kentucky on November 2.

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