Campbell County Special Olympics team empowers individuals with disabilities to compete

The Campbell County Special Olympics team gives those with disabilities the chance to compete and socialize with their peers. 

The team started in December 2023 when five families decided to create a board that allowed them to obtain fundraising opportunities and begin programming designed for kids, young adults and older adults with mental and physical disabilities to play sports in the county. 

“What we’re finding is that when my son graduated in 2020 from Campbell County High School, there just was not a lot for us here,” said Campbell County Special Olympics Local Coordinator and Coach Dan Cross. “We had to drive to Kenton County or Boone County to participate in bocce. So, I was driving 45 minutes each way to play for an hour, and I’m like, I can’t be the only one that is needing this.” 

The team plays basketball, bocce, softball and bowling and will add flag football this fall. Cross said that although it is their first year, as they gain popularity and more volunteers, they will bring more sports online. 

The minimum age to play is 8, but it can go up to 80. Cross said the oldest athlete in their delegation is 67 and bowls with them. The median age is high school, but Cross said they also have athletes who are elementary and middle school-aged.

“I got involved back when my son, who’s now 23, was 16 and saw a post on Facebook to play softball, and he needed to do something with those to get socialized—he has autism,” Cross said. “Then they needed a volunteer coach, so I became a coach.” 

Campbell County Special Olympics athlete Dylan Thornberry said his favorite part about being on the team is playing sports. 

“I like to play bocce ball, basketball, bowling,” Thornberry said. 

He said his favorite sport is basketball, and the team has helped him learn to dribble and shoot the ball. 

Cross said all of the athletes are competitive. Their sports allow them to go to a state tournament and compete against others. He said bowling is the most popular sport across the state, with the most athletes competing. The Campbell County delegation practices for eight weeks, and any athlete who wants to go to regionals will compete against athletes with similar bowling averages. The top two places for each of those averages can then go compete against others down in Louisville in late December to see who the state champion in that level is.

“The process of Special Olympics is competition,” he said. “So, what we try to do through practice is to improve the athlete’s ability to then compete at the highest levels. So, it’s not just a free-for-all. We try to have them follow the rules. We try to have them follow the guidelines so that they can within their ability compete against others.”

Dylan Thornberry’s parents, Tony and Shannon Thornberry, sit on the board of the Campbell County delegation. They said they got Dylan involved in sports when he was five. 

“We wanted socialization and the activity of learning how to play the sports,” Shannon Thornberry said. 

She said some of Dylan’s peers from school are also on the team, allowing him to see them outside of the classroom. 

“Just motivates him to get out and do stuff and make friends,” Tony Thornberry said.

Cross said the Campbell County delegation has grown since its establishment. When it first started bocce, it had six players; now, it has 38. 

“What we’re trying to do is to continue to get the word out more, not even so much the high school but those people who have a child who may have graduated three years ago; what do I do with my 25-year-old child who is sitting at home, and I want them to be active, and I want them to meet friends,” said Cross.

Cross said the other side of it is that parents get together and can ask each other questions. 

“They can share different spots because I’m 23 years into this, and some of the families are 10,” he said. “So, it’s like, what does life look like with a child with disabilities? What is social security? There are a lot of other things when you have a child with medical and special needs that parents can help them.” 

Shannon Thornberry echoed that.

“I think it’s nice for parents to be able to talk when you have questions,” she said. “You can talk to help parents who have younger athletes and then ask questions to the parents who have older athletes.”

By keeping practice local and on the same night of the week, Cross said people can plan and then build relationships. He said many of the younger players go to school together, which allows them to talk about it at school.

“We’re going to be ongoing, and if someone, even if they just want to volunteer to help, they can do that as well,” Cross said. “It’s just a great organization. If you’re having a bad day, coming here and doing this makes it a good day. There’s very rarely a day that I walk away from any practice and go; I don’t feel better because they just love it.”

Those interested in joining the Campbell County Special Olympics or volunteering can find more information on the delegation’s website and Facebook page.