GRIMES – Special Olympics Iowa will host its annual state softball tournament Saturday, Aug. 4, at Prairie Ridge Sports Complex in Ankeny. Presented by Sammons Financial Group (SFG), the tournament will showcase the talents of 21 traditional teams, five Unified teams and more than 60 softball skills athletes. Unified Sports join equal numbers of people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Teams are made up of people of similar age and ability levels. Unified Sports promotes social inclusion through shared sports training and competitions experiences.
Teams and skills athletes from Ames, Anamosa, Boone, Cedar Rapids, Chariton, Clinton, Davenport, Denison, Fontanelle, Glenwood, Iowa City, Manning, Mason City, Muscatine, Sheldon, Sioux City and West Des Moines will travel to Ankeny to participate in the tournament.
SFG rep, Mary Buscher, said the tournament is one of their favorite events to sponsor.
“The athletes and coaches always demonstrate such great sportsmanship at this event,” Buscher said. “Our SFG team members volunteer year after year because it is such a rewarding experience. The competition is fierce. We are especially proud of two of our SFG employees, Rick King and Mary Koger, who have volunteered their time as Link Softball Coaches.”
The tournament begins at 8:45 a.m. with the opening ceremony, featuring the ceremonial first pitch with games beginning at 9:15 a.m. The final games of the day are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. The 2018 Special Olympics Iowa State Softball Tournament is open to the public and spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend.