Blog: Three Cheers for Special Olympics Cheerleaders

The voice on the other end of the phone was happy and peppy and positively saturated with enthusiasm, so it wasn't exactly astonishing that the caller wanted me to write an article promoting her cheerleading squad and encouraging kids to join. And, since we get a lot of calls like that at the newspaper, I have to confess that I didn't quite share her enthusiasm. It was what she said next that made me choke on my coffee: "We just haven't had a lot of success getting kids to try out for Special Olympics cheerleading in the city."

I started taking notes like crazy. "You mean...like huggers?" I asked. "People who volunteer to show up and cheer on the participants?" I had it all wrong - she meant individuals with developmental disabilities who could be part of a squad that cheered on their teammates, and who could compete with other squads of Special Olympians. Baltimore didn't have its own squad, and Special Olympics Maryland wanted to help them get one started.

Log in to view the full article
Page 1 of 466
Next Page
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide
AB Show 2025 in San Diego
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 5-8, 2025
Learn More
AB Show 2025