Oklahoma City Blue Hosts Special Olympics Clinic

The Oklahoma City Blue hosted a group of 45 athletes from Special Olympics Oklahoma for a basketball clinic at the Blue Development Center on Tuesday. The entire Blue team and coaching staff took part in the hour-long clinic, focusing on fundamental basketball skills.

The Blue broke up into four groups to emphasize the skills of shooting, ball-handling, passing and defense. With the athletes rotating to each station, they had a chance to interact with each member of the Blue team.

Special Olympics Oklahoma serves children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing opportunities to train and compete in Olympic-type sports and activities.

“Each kid has their own challenge that they go through in life and being the figures that we are that kids look up to, it’s really important for us to give back,” said Blue forward Kameron Woods. “It’s great to see the smiles on their faces that we can bring them from the game we love to play.”

The opportunity to coach Special Olympics athletes was a first for many of the Blue players, including rookie guard Dez Wells.

“This is my first time doing an event like this, so it’s a new experience for me but it’s fun,” said Wells. “One of the kids knows sign language, I saw the cochlear device in his ear and I had learned sign language in school so I did a little sign language with him. This has been a lot of fun and I’m just blessed to be given the opportunity.”