The Bird WORD. Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. Round Rock Roadrunner Key Volunteer Retires.

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1 Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. The Bird WORD Volume 9, Issue 2 RRISD Roadrunners Newsletter April 17, 2013 Mark Your Calendar April 20 Area 13 Cycling April 26 Area 13 Soccer April 27 Area 13 Tennis May 3-4 Area 13 Athletics (Track and Field) May 8 Awards Night May Chapter Summer Games Inside This Issue Proctor & Gamble Advertisement 2 Coaches Corner 3 Up-Close and Personal 4 Awards Night 5 A Moment With 6 Round Rock Roadrunner Key Volunteer Retires There are very few people that would dedicate 25 years of volunteer service to a single organization, but David Pierce is one of those exceptional individuals. Coach Pierce began volunteering in 1988 for RRISD Special Olympics when he heard about The Law Enforcement Torch Run. At the time, he was looking for an association for his church youth group to assist when he contacted Patsy Reyna, an Adapted PE teacher and Special Olympics coach at the time, who started the ball rolling. Twenty-five years after that initial call Coach Pierce has decided to hang up his Round Rock Roadrunner volunteer/coach/unified Partner uniform. Coach David Pierce Over the years David Pierce coached Track and Field, Bowling, Powerlifting, Bocce, Soccer and Basketball. When asked which sport was his favorite Coach Pierce said, It would have to be the one-on-one work with Powerlifting. His fondest memory was meeting Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry at the Chapter Summer Games at Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas many years ago. Coach Landry was handing out awards and took the time to talk and take pictures with each of the athletes and staff. Coach Pierce also remembers the pride he felt the first time he walked out onto UT Memorial Stadium s field in his police uniform with his fellow Law Enforcement Torch Run officers. On another occasion he was assisting an athlete who was preparing to do the 25 meter assisted walk at a Chapter Games. When the starter gun went off, it was so loud that Mary took off without her walker and walked the race without the support of the walker. Though she received a Participant s ribbon for the race, Mary s mother, Martha, and Coach Pierce had tears in their eyes watching Mary compete without the support of the walker. Coach Pierce, Ty Harvey and Garrett Staas Coach Pierce recalled one of the more humorous times was during the Chapter Summer Games in Houston at the University of Houston. They had just arrived at the stadium for events only to find out the area was suddenly under a tornado warning and the bus, unfortunately, had already left to pick up other athletes. To see everyone trying to corral the athletes and find cover was priceless, said Coach Pierce. Fortunately, the weather passed, and the Summer Games continued on schedule. (Continued on page 5)

2 Page 2 All Smiles, Again! What a pleasant surprise to once again see the smiling faces of our very own Round Rock Roadrunner, Sydney Weigand, and her mom, Delanie, in the Procter and Gamble coupon promotion. This lovely photo of Sydney and Delanie was recently featured in the coupon section of the Austin American Statesman, as well as most newspapers throughout the United States. This picture was taken during Procter & Gamble s Proud Sponsor of Moms campaign photo shoot in December of It was a complete surprise to see it in the paper two years after the shoot, said Delanie. Delanie remembers this part of the photo shoot distinctly because Sally (the awesome 'kid wrangler' on the P&G photo team)made up an onthe-spot song about Justin Bieber and Sydney thought it was hilarious! That is what she's laughing at in this photo, says Delanie. The Austin area has been the site of the photo shoot for this promotion for over 10 years, and approximately 25 Round Rock athletes have been invited to participate throughout the years. Professional photographers, makeup artists, film and camera crews, and P & G Marketing professionals conduct the photo shoot that lasts 2 3 days, and over 2,000 pictures are typically taken. No one knows which pictures will be released until the ad campaign is unveiled. Regardless, the movie Sydney and Delanie Weigand experience is fun and gives the athletes and their families a taste of what it s like to be a part of a professional photo shoot, as well as the long hours it can take while waiting for everything to be perfect for the shoot. The Procter and Gamble Company is a Promotional Partner of Special Olympics, Inc, and has supported the movement for more than 32 years. In the United States the annual P&G brandsaver promotion has raised nearly $40 million for Special Olympics, Inc. since its inception in 1980.

3 Page 3 Jan Sartain Lead Teacher, Adapted Physical Education HOD, RRISD Special Olympics Special Olympics Texas Chapter Games Round Rock is proud to provide the opportunity for athletes to advance to Chapter Games in designated sports throughout the school year. There are 3 Chapter (state level) competitions in Texas - Fall Classic, held in College Station, (Aquatics, Golf), Winter Games (Powerlifting, Bowling), held in the Austin/RR area, and Summer Games, (Track, Cycling, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer) held in Arlington. These events are multi-day competitions, typically beginning on a Thursday and continuing through Sunday. Each Chapter event typically draws approximately 2,000 3,500 athletes from Texas. In Round Rock ISD, athletes in high school, VISTA, and Community Works are considered for Chapter Games events. Selection to attend Chapter Games includes athlete skill readiness, ability to be away from home, independent living skills, budget constraints limiting athlete numbers, and quota restrictions in particular sports. An athlete can also be considered as a day camper, in which the family travels to the location and supports the athlete throughout the multi-day event. Advancement to a Chapter Games is first contingent upon an athlete fulfilling all requirements in his/her sport, attending all practices, competing at local competitions/ scrimmages, and competing in the Area 13 competition of the sport. Athletes are not required to place third or better at area competition for advancement to Chapter Games, but it is considered as part of the skill readiness. Participation in Chapter Games incurs significant cost (athlete registration, hotel fees, meal fees, staff costs, and transportation costs) and RRISD Special Olympics is given an annual budget as part of the school district s budget. Budget constraints drive decisions related to how many athletes can attend, and, with continued rising costs, now necessitate nominal family financial participation to offset costs. Much more detail about Chapter Games is available upon request. The opportunity to travel and participate in such large competition events has been rewarding for many athletes throughout the years, and is a vital and important component of the athletic experience and personal growth for our athletes.

4 Up-Close and Personal with... Brittany Lambertz What is your dream job? Being a DJ and Karaoke host. Page 4 What sports have you trained and competed in while with RR Special Olympics? Name: Brittany Lambertz I ve competed in bowling, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, basketball and swimming. Tell us about your family (brothers/ sisters): My father is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and my mom is from Guyana, South America. I am an only child. Do you have a pet? If yes, what is it and what is it s name? I don t have a pet now but I did have a white Bichon Frise named BJ. He was very friendly and did tricks. Unfortunately, he died. Who is your hero and why? My hero is Grandpa Lambertz because he was a war hero. Where do you have a job? Before moving to South Dakota I was working part-time at Just in Blooms Flower Shop in Round Rock. What is your favorite thing to do in the summer with your family? Go on vacations and visit my cousins. What fun things do you like to do when you are at home? Listen to music, sing and FaceTime. Bowling. What is your favorite sport? Who is your favorite music group or your favorite song? One Direction... Live While We re Young. What is one thing people might not know about you? I have been to Disney Land at least five times.

5 (Continued from page 1) Round Rock Roadrunner Key Volunteer Retires Page 5 During his years of service in Special Olympics Coach Pierce said he learned that he has a responsibility to give back to the community and stand up for those that don t have a say in what is happening to them. He said he has also learned to be more patient. There is now more family and volunteer involvement in Special Olympics and the organization should be proud of the strong inclusion of high school volunteers that participate in the program, said Coach Pierce. Coach Sartain added, It has been an honor and a privilege to travel this journey with Coach Pierce. There are many wonderful memories that will stay with me forever. He s watched 25 years of athletes, families, coaches and volunteers pass through the doors of Round Rock ISD, a view that very few people have had the privilege to experience. He s going to sincerely be missed. The Round Rock Roadrunners extend a very big thank you to Coach Pierce for being a part of the team for the past 25 years and for helping to make RRISD Special Olympics what it is today. Coach Pierce with his Powerlifting Team

6 Page 6 A Moment With... This A Moment With... article was written by David Yulo. David is a senior at Round Rock High School and brother to our Roadrunner athlete, Brian Yulo. My three years of volunteering in Special Olympics have been an immense blessing for me. I can genuinely say that I always enjoyed spending my time volunteering and meeting many new and awesome friends who are athletes and fellow volunteers. Even when I have had a miserable day, once I get to practice and spend time with the athletes and volunteers my day always brightens up. I have many fond and enjoyable memories spending time with the athletes in Special Olympics. The athletes and other fellow volunteers/unified partners are some of the coolest, sweetest, most compassionate and funniest people I have ever met. Brian and David Yulo In my three years so far with Special Olympics I have served as a volunteer and a unified partner for bowling and basketball. The difference between a volunteer and a unified partner is a volunteer watches the kids, possibly instructs them to do things in a certain way, and supports the coaches, while a unified partner is essentially a teammate with the athletes in a sport. One of my fond memories was the practice scrimmage at Cedar Ridge High School for unified basketball where a few of the athletes were doing all sorts of antics (that were funny or silly but appropriate) to get the attention of the cheerleaders. The awesome thing was, their tactics actually worked!! It made me realize that these athletes are just like the rest of us. Another memorable moment, amidst a number of great memories, was the time we went to Arlington for the State finals. The bus ride to the University of Texas - Arlington with the athletes and volunteers was filled with immense chattering, and talking loudly about an array of topics that consisted of funny jokes, music, video games, and among the male athletes, girls! They were no different than any of the other guys. During the same trip to Arlington I spent the weekend volunteering and rooming with my brother and another athlete named Phillip. This was an amazing learning experience for me as I was basically responsible for watching over my brother and Phillip. The Arlington trip consisted of the Round Rock Roadrunners winning in a variety of sports, an awesome dance/party that consisted of thousands of people dancing and having fun, hilarious conversations, and of course spending quality time and making lifelong memories with some of the most amazing people I know. Finally I would like to thank all the parents and coaches of Special Olympics for being so supportive and friendly. I was truly honored when many of the parents told me how their kids enjoyed spending time with me; it always brought a huge smile to my face. Their kindness towards me and other partners was more than sufficient, but they even gave us gifts. I cannot put into words how much I appreciate the parents and coaches of Special Olympics.

7 See the ability, unleash the possibilities... RRISD Roadrunners Newsletter Jan Sartain, C.A.P.E. Lead Teacher, Adapted Physical Education Head of Delegation, RRISD Special Olympics (w) (c) (fax) A Moment With... is an article in The Bird Word from anyone whose life has been touched by someone special. Articles may be written by parents, siblings, students, peer mentors, teachers, coaches, or administrators. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with those who have special needs, please send it to Jan Sartain at Jan_Sartain@roundrockisd.org. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES RRISD Special Olympics Spring 2013 RRISD offers many volunteer opportunities in a variety of sports and events. There are opportunities to volunteer weekly with coaches and athletes in a variety of sports, or you can choose to volunteer for a single event on a designated day. Volunteers are required to be at least 15 years of age. However, younger students may volunteer, but students under 15 require an adult chaperone at the event. What can volunteers do? There are essentially three levels of volunteer options: Weekly Volunteers Day of Event Volunteers Unified Sports Partner Volunteers Group hug for a job well done Please visit the website below for more details. Roadrunners are on the web! The Bird Word The Bird Word is always looking for fresh ideas and stories from members of the RRISD community. If you are interested in writing for The Bird Word please contact Jan Sartain at Jan_Sartain@roundrockisd.org. We publish The Bird Word twice a year. Your contribution would be greatly appreciated! Visit the Roadrunner RRISD web page for the most up-to-date information and results of competitions. Go to: Move cursor to STUDENT SERVICES, a drop down box will appear Click on SPECIAL EDUCATION Click on RRISD SPECIAL OLYMPICS