For the average golfer a drive of 233 yards that lands just short of the green is arguably considered a good shot, if not a great shot. Though a shot like this might get applause among friends, there was quite the celebration Sunday when a Special Olympics athlete blew away a few spectators by executing this remarkable shot.  And his biggest fans were a group of individuals who make golf a part of their everyday lives, Macalester College golfers.

As part of the new NCAA Division III partnership with Special Olympics, the Macalester College men's and women's golf teams volunteered at the Special Olympics Minnesota Fall Games Competition  at Oak Marsh Golf Course in Oakdale, Minn., Sunday, Aug. 21. Fourteen Macalester golfers paired up with Special Olympics participants by keeping score, driving the groups' carts, leading groups through the course and helping search for the occasional lost ball.

Macalester Head Men's and Women's Golf Coach Martha Nause decided to take advantage of an opportunity to volunteer with Special Olympics, as part of the new Division III initiative during the golf pre-season when all of her student-athletes were able to be together.

“I haven't really done any community service projects with the team and I have been really wanting to,” Nause said. “I thought it was perfect being a Special Olympics golf event and it really came at a good time.”

But for Nause, her choice to partner her team with Special Olympics athletes comes more from her personal experience with Special Olympics.  Nause's sister has participated in Special Olympics Illinois bocce ball competitions for many years, so Special Olympics, “holds a special place” in her heart, she said.

“With my sister being involved in it, I know what it does for her,” Nause said. “I think it was good for the team to see that maybe when they are getting frustrated with their game, they don't have a whole lot to be upset about.  I was hoping maybe they could learn something from them about the joy of just being able to be out there and play.”

Being able to enjoy sports with individuals who student-athletes don't normally interact with was a main goal of the formal partnership that was launched by the Division III national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at the 2011 NCAA Convention. The purpose of the partnership, according to NCAA.org, is to, “improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes.”

After much research and discussion, the national SAAC group chose to partner with Special Olympics because the values of the organization aligned with Division III SAAC and the national presence of Special Olympics programs would allow for plenty of opportunities for student-athletes to get involved. Due to the emphasis on physical activity and respect for competition, working with Special Olympics seemed like a natural fit.

Macalester golfers were the first group of Mac student-athletes who were able to experience this partnership at work. First-year golfer Dan Shi said the similarities between the athletes were evident throughout the day.

“We talked a lot with everyone and they all had a really good time,” Shi said. “A lot of the volunteers didn't really know the sport of golf, but there are a lot of similar relationships due to the nature of sports and we were really able to relate to them.”

Though the men and women who volunteered were hard at work to help the event run well, they did manage to have some fun and get to know the Special Olympics athletes on a personal level. Sophomore Maddie Arbisi said that she really felt a connection as an athlete with the competitors and really enjoyed being able to support them during competition.

“I was able to remind myself that anyone can be an athlete and can do anything that they want to do,” Arbisi said. “I found myself really rooting for them. [The athletes] had great attitudes and I really didn't feel a difference between them and us.”

For senior Caitlin Opperman, the experience was about more than just serving another group of individuals.  It really helped reaffirmed the reasons why she participates collegiately at the Division III level.

“Being a Division III athlete is about being well-rounded and the experience today really emphasized that,” said Opperman.  “I have learned so much about life from being a student-athlete and being out here today really solidified all of that. Golf is a part of being a well-rounded person.  I feel privileged to be a part of Macalester golf.”

Opperman's comments about the day and the teams' interactions with the athletes really solidified, that “they got what it was all about,” according to Nause.

Nause said she intends to have her teams continue to work with Special Olympics in the future.



NCAA Division III Special Olympics page
Special Olympics Minnesota