Frame by Frame With Special Olympics Ambassador Ray Hadden

A familiar portrait of a dark red bowling ball gliding smoothly across a maple wood floor resonates in his mind. The ball crashes into the front pin and creates a chain reaction of other pins plummeting down in no particular pattern. This is merely one frame; one brief fragment of the entire game. For Ray Hadden, these unique bowling frames mirror the fascinating and unpredictable life he has had.

Hadden, who was born with an intellectual disability, has turned to sport and recreation as a passageway to express himself and let his abilities shine through. Since 1985 he has been involved with Special Olympics Connecticut, a nonprofit sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities that provides year round training and competitions to its athletes. Originally born in Greenwich, CT, Hadden moved to New Milford in 1985 with his mother and has lived there since. During his early years in school, he received unsolicited bullying and teasing from other students who only viewed him as a disabled individual.

“Different people would pick on me, but I would just blow it off,” said Hadden. “It would make me mad. I’d get a little upset with it, but I blew it off.”

In fourth grade, Hadden’s teacher encouraged him to participate in Special Olympics track and field program to escape some of the unwarranted criticism. Reluctantly, he agreed to try it out, and ever since then he has been extensively involved with the organization. Currently, Hadden is an athlete, coach, and Global Messenger for Special Olympics. He has attributed much of his success, along with changes in his behavioral qualities, to his experience with the organization ever since he ran his first track event back in 1985.

“It’s been good since then,” said Hadden. “I’ve been able to build up my self-esteem and self-confidence.”

Hadden has been involved in a multitude of other sports including snow shoeing, basketball, floor hockey, bowling, and his personal favorite, downhill skiing.

“I like the challenges that come with downhill skiing,” said Hadden. “It was one of the most challenging ones. Once I got to know it, though, it became a lot easier.”

Hadden recalls an early and even comical memory of downhill skiing that gave him the confidence he needed to continue participating without fear.

“In the beginning it was challenging trying to get to the bottom of the hill in one piece,” said Hadden. “Once I finally got down to the bottom of the hill and everybody was clapping I had one problem. I was watching my parents not pay attention and I ran into a tree. Once I got over that it was fine going up and down the hill.”

Although Hadden was actively engaged in athletics, he had a stroke in 1999 which drastically curbed his playing days. While he still participates in snow shoeing, he was forced to stop playing all other sports. Despite this setback, Hadden has been able to create a new frame in his life that he cherishes deeply. Since 2008 he has been the head coach of the bowling team for the New Milford local Special Olympics program. He also serves as an assistant coach for their basketball team.

“I enjoy getting to teach the athletes and giving back to Special Olympics everything it has given me over the years,” said Hadden.

Nora Mason, the Regional Director for the Northwest Region of Special Olympics Connecticut noted how instrumental Hadden is in coaching young athletes in the New Milford program.

“As a Special Olympics participant, Ray has grown tremendously from being in the athlete’s shoes,” said Mason. “His maturity, commitment, attention to detail and enthusiasm make him an excellent coach for his New Milford team. He has over time learned the rules of the sports he coaches and shares this sports knowledge with his athletes while instilling the valuable lesson of good sportsmanship.”

On top of coaching, Hadden is a Special Olympics Global Messenger. Global Messengers are athletes who attend community events and convey the mission and vision of Special Olympics that they have learned from their participation. They strive to convey the powerful messages of hope, acceptance, dignity, and courage that Special Olympics demonstrates on a daily basis. In fact, Hadden is the Global Messenger Assistant for the Northwest Region of Special Olympics Connecticut. He is in charge of coordinating other Global Messengers to attend community events in the Northwest area. 

“It’s just about going into the community and talking about Special Olympics and its mission and its program,” said Hadden. “I don’t think there’s a big challenge to being a Global Messenger.”

Hadden is not just a messenger to the citizens of Connecticut; he is a messenger for the entire country. He was cordially invited to Washington, D.C. last February to attend Capitol Hill Day as the sole representative for Special Olympics Connecticut to speak with congressmen and women from Connecticut and state senators in regards to passing a Eunice Kennedy Shriver Bill supporting Special Olympics. It was one of the proudest personal achievements in Hadden’s entire life.

Amazingly, Ray Hadden has experienced Special Olympics as an athlete, coach, and Global Messenger. He embodies what it truly means to be a fearless competitor, an astute mentor, and a global ambassador. With a Spirit of Life award presented to him in 1993 by the state of Connecticut, along with his countless medals and ribbons earned throughout his career, Hadden can reflect upon his life and see the handprints he has left along the way. Like a bowling ball skating across the lanes and knocking into pins, Hadden has been able to touch so many lives and has led an exhilarating, persevering, and charitable life.

“Ray Hadden has had a profound impact not only on his fellow athletes and coaches in the Special Olympics program, but on people who are not aware of what Special Olympics is all about,” said Mason. “I think he truly represents what it means to be a role model, a teacher, and a friend.”

For more information on Special Olympics Connecticut visit www.soct.org or to request a Special Olympics Global Messenger to speak at your upcoming meeting or event, please contact Nora Mason at noram@soct.org.