Special Olympics team from Cleveland County takes gold
After two years of being stuck at home itching for a chance to play, the men on the Cleveland County Special Olympics basketball team finally got back on the court this spring. And in their first spring games back in action, they took home gold.
In early June Cleveland County team coach Kevin Roberts took 10 players - Brian Black, Chris Campbell, Lamorris Campbell, Eugene Fisher, Lionel Littlejohn, Romey Mitchell, Ta'vaghia Rice, JT Sanders, Kilo Smarr and Robert Tanner - to compete in the Spring 2022 Special Olympic games in Raleigh.
The team was coach by Roberts, James Littlejohn and Carol Goforth as they swept through four other teams in their division to take home a gold medal.
"When we rolled out of here on Friday, they had their hearts set that they were winning gold, and that is what they did," said Roberts.
The effort was made even more impressive given the challenges the team faced even getting onto the court.
The day before the games, Roberts said he left the team, coaches and equipment long enough to get checked in and find out where the team would be staying on the N.C. State University campus.
"While I was gone to check in, some volunteers decided to grab all of our equipment and our athletes and took them to the wrong dorm. When I got outside everyone was gone, and so was our equipment," he said.
With some effort, Roberts was able to track down his players and coaches and get them moved into the correct dorm, but his equipment, including the team t-shirts and jerseys, was nowhere to be found. If they couldn't find them by game time Saturday, the team wouldn't be able to play.
"Our game was at (noon). At 11 o'clock we still didn't have jerseys. I am freaking out, they are panicking, 'Coach, they are not going to let us play,'" he said.
Almost at the buzzer, Roberts was able to connect with a coach from Wake County who had some extra jerseys and was willing to loan them to the team.
"They said Wake County on them but luckily they fit my athletes," said Roberts.
As luck would have it, Cleveland County would have to play against Wake County in the first round of their tournament.
This spring was the first time Cleveland County Special Olympic athletes were able to compete since 2020. All games and activities were cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic and remained cancelled through 2021 as a precaution for athletes who have health conditions and would be more susceptible to the virus.
When restrictions were lifted earlier this year, Roberts said it was like seeing his kids again after they had been sent off to college.
"It's like they all come back. They all call me dad. To get them back on the court again and see them be excited; to see the will to do and to try and out perform each other was great," he said.
Cleveland County's Special Olympic athletes will have some downtime this summer. They are expected to resume practices and competing in football and soccer this fall.
Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@ShelbyStar.com.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Cleveland County Special Olympics team wins gold
