Special Olympics has 36 sports on its roster, including basketball, swimming and bowling, but not soccer, said Scott Osterfeld, a member of the Special Olympics board of directors. He saw the tournament as a good networking opportunity, manning a booth at the Fairfield Optimist Club soccer field off Joe Nuxhall Way on Saturday.
“What we’re doing is raising money for our athletes in Butler County for uniforms to send them to the state games. In the last year, our program has grown tremendously. We’ve added golf, we’re going to add soccer, and we’ve partnered with the Fairfield Optimist Club, as well as the Cincinnati Saints soccer team to get that started,” he said.
Osterfeld said he anticipates a soccer team being in place next year. Brad Begley, of Fairfield, helped the effort Saturday with a $20 donation at the booth.
“Special Olympics is a great opportunity for kids to get involved in something that may not be an opportunity for them otherwise,” Begley said.
MASC draws teams from throughout the tri-state, with visitors like Anita Ramey , who traveled about about two hours from Winchester, Ky. She attends about six soccer tournaments a year, one as far away as Alabama, and she finds MASC to be well-run and easier to drive to than others.
“I’ve been to this one about three times, and I do like it very well. It’s not that hard to get to. We go to some that are just crazy. You get lost and everything else. The fields (in Fairfield) are laid out very nice; there’s plenty of concessions. It’s just an enjoyable time,” she said.
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