The Special Olympics Minnesota State Poly Hockey and Powerlifting Competition was held on March 8 and 9, 2025 at Stillwater High School, and it showcased the talents of Special Olympics athletes from across the state. Founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, Special Olympics has grown into the largest sports program globally, empowering over 4.5 million athletes with intellectual disabilities. This state tournament celebrated not just competition but friendship and good sportsmanship. Athletes Ann and Trent emphasize the joy of being in community, and Minnesota Special Olympics senior program manager Emily Carr discusses the many benefits of sports. Looking ahead, Minnesota will host the Special Olympics USA Games in June 2026, attracting 4,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, and 10,000 volunteers, shining a light on the strengths of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Transcript
Trent Kakadakis: I'm here to support my teammates and at the state hockey tournament.
Reporter: That's Trent kakadakis, a long time Special Olympics athlete.
Trent Kakadakis: I've been in Special Olympics for almost 16 years now, I've been playing basketball, softball, bowling.
Reporter: Trent joined thousands of other athletes at Stillwater High School on March 8 for the Special Olympics Minnesota State poly hockey tournament. Senior Program Manager Emily Carr explains more.
Emily Carr: Poly hockey is basically just floor hockey, but with a couple different nuances.We make those changes based on safety reasons. We have teams competingagainst each other in what we call division. We put teams who are of similar abilities and skill levels in a tournament together to play against each other.
Reporter: The Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who envisioned a world where individuals with intellectual disabilities could participate in sports and be included in society. According to the Minnesota Special Olympics site, today, it stands as the largest and fastest growing sports program in the world, representing over 4.5 million athletes across more than 170 countries. Special Olympics Minnesota was established in 1973. It currently has 17 Olympic type sports and supports 8100 athletes including Ann Steiner, an athlete from the Roseville flames team who is competing in the state hockey tournament.
Ann Steiner: I do basketball, floor hockey, softball and bowline. It's fun. Everybody gets along with everybody. Good coaches can compete against other teams and have good sportsmanship.
Reporter: Besides competing in sports, Special Olympics tournaments also feature fun happenings during the day, like bingo and scavenger hunts. There's also several initiatives focused on health and wellness.
Emily Carr: We have people who are on our staff who specifically work with health programming, and they are connected with clinical directors throughout the state of Minnesota, and these folks volunteer their time to come out to our competitions to provide free screenings, such as hearing screenings, vision screenings, sometimes even podiatry screenings.
Reporter: Emily highlights other positive impacts Special Olympics has on its athletes.
Emily Carr: I love getting to see the impact that we have on these athletes. I'm really passionate about making sure everybody has that opportunity to compete in sports. It teaches you a lot more than just the physical skills it takes to be an athlete. A lot of these people get so much more out of their sports than just physical stuff.
Trent Kakadakis: It's a real joy to play basketball and softball with friends that I know, and it's been a dream come true.
Reporter: When asked what advice he would give to other athletes, Trent had this to say:
Trent Kakadakis: Don't take like the winning and or the losing as a downfall. Just do your best. Focus. If you're wearing these loads, it's just a game and you're out there. Have fun, support your teammates. Have good sportsmanship, and go Special Olympics.
Reporter: How many awards do you think you have?
Trent Kakadakis: Oh, gosh, way too many.
Reporter: Minnesota will host the Special Olympics USA games in the summer of 2026.This event will bring 4000 athletes, 1500 coaches, and 10,000 volunteers to our state, along with 75,000 fans from all across the US competing in 19 sports, all celebrating the abilities and strengths of individuals with intellectual disabilities. To learn more, visit SpecialOlympicsMinnesota.org. For North Star stories, I'm Katharine DeCelle.