Special Olympics Soccer Games Held At Granada High

From Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District: An expectation of being part of a team is that teammates will provide support and encouragement to one another, win or lose. At the soccer games of the 2018-19 Tri-Valley Special Olympics Northern California Schools Program hosted by the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD), the level of positive support toward every athlete on the field - especially between competitors - indicated that all who were present were on one unified team.

Granada High School (GHS) hosted the soccer games on September 27 for elementary grades and October 9 for middle, high school, and transition students. Each event was held on a beautiful, sunny day. The athletes competed on the football field, while spectators watched from the sidelines or enjoyed the new stadium bleachers recently installed as part of the Measure J Bond Program’s stadium renovation.

“Granada High is so happy to host and support the Special Olympics,” said PJ Daley, principal at GHS. “We are humbled by the support of the community, the athletes and staff to put together such a fabulous event. What a great way to showcase our new bleachers that were the product of the Measure J Bond and community support!”

The athletes who participated had many supporters – peers from their home schools, families, friends, and GHS students who stopped by to cheer during their breaks from class. Co-teaching classes from Altamont Creek and Arroyo Seco Elementary schools, comprising students in general education and special education, all showed up to support their classmates. Having everyone invested in the games, as participants or supporters, reinforced the idea of inclusiveness and building one another up with encouragement.

“It was exciting to see so many schools participate in the Special Olympics soccer matches at Granada High School this year,” said Frank Selvaggio, Director of Special Education at LVJUSD. “These events are a highlight of my year and I am grateful to the many members from LVJUSD and our community that make these games a reality.”

Through a partnership with Special Olympics of Northern California and Tri-Valley Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), GHS was proud to host this section of the games. Twenty-eight schools across Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton participated in the Soccer games this year. In February 2019, Dublin will host basketball, and Pleasanton will host the track and field events in April.

Photos courtesy of Livermore Granada Boosters and LVJUSD (Opening Ceremonies)