Clarksville, Ark.-University of the Ozarks student-athletes recently volunteered at the 2014 Special Olympics Unified Softball Tournament held Saturday, September 20 in Clarksville.
    
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Sponsored by the Lady Eagles’ softball team with help from Ozarks’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, student-athletes from various sports woke up early on a Saturday morning to aid in making the tournament a memorable day for everyone involved. 
    
Those arriving early assisted with general set-up and preparing the community fields for play, while other Eagles and Lady Eagles committed their entire morning and afternoon to serving as buddies to the Special Olympians. Each student-athlete was matched up with a team of Special Olympians who they competed with on the field and assisted in various aspects of play. 
    
Rather than the number of runs scored, it was the number of smiling faces that made the biggest impact on Ozarks’ student-athletes at the end of the day. 
    
“I always enjoy helping in any way I can with the Special Olympics events because no matter what happens on the field, they still keep a smile on their face,” said junior softball player and SAAC representative Haley McKee. “They are always competitive and excited, and it is inspiring to watch them play.”

By Emily Black, Director of Social Media for Sports Information