Special Olympics of Hillsborough County has had a good relationship with Plant City High School. The school has always opened its fields and courts for the organization to hold practices and competitions.
But SOHC got more than it asked for at the Saturday, Sept. 19, competition, thanks to the Raiders baseball team.
SOHC had asked a few players to help with the competition. Instead, the entire team came out to support SOHC by working the competition and serving as umpires.
“We donated hats to them last year, and we’re just trying to give back to the community,” head coach Mike Fryrear says. “It’s going on my fourth year here, and we wanted to give more back.”
The baseball team knows firsthand just how involved PCHS is with Special Olympics, and special needs students in general. PCHS is known for its work with these students, most notably in its Raider Buddies program, a club where special needs students team up with other students to do activities and forge friendships.
Typically, the baseball team has always lent a hand whenever asked by giving hats and uniforms to the Special Olympic athletes. But the baseball team decided on its own to do something extra Saturday.
“It’s actually the boys — they wanted to come out here and work with Special Olympics,” Fryrear says. “They’ve seen those kids around campus for the last three or four years. It builds team chemistry and culture here in Plant City.”
Team captain Billy McKay says that it was definitely worth getting up before 8 a.m. on a Saturday.
“My freshman year, I was a part of the Raider Buddies program,” McKay says. “I know a lot of Raider Buddies. I just wanted to come out here and say, ‘hey,’ to them, umpire a couple of games for them and have some fun.”
The PCHS players the Special Olympics athletes on the softball field for warm-ups, and gave them some playing tips.
“Some kids, out here, they’re not as privileged to learn how to actually throw the ball and stuff like that,” McKay says. “We taught them how to throw, catch, field ground balls — stuff like that.”
Plant City Orange, Plant City Teal and the Lakeland Eagles played a series of matches. The Orange team came out on top. The Eagles finished in second place and won the final game of the day.
Fryrear says that the team’s participation in the competition was a good sign of things to come for the future. Offseason team-building activities, such as working with Special Olympics, brings the players together.
“This is the best team chemistry I’ve ever had,” Fryrear says. “Adding this aspect, and more, to it, it’s been unbelievable. These guys are excited to get to the field. Whatever opportunity they have here, like Special Olympics, they want to show up.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
IN THE FUTURE
The Plant City baseball team will be fairly busy this weekend, as they’ll be competing in a fall ball tournament at the University of South Florida.
The Special Olympics softball program will be preparing for the State Softball Championships, which are set to be held Nov. 13 and 14 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orlando.