Special Olympics
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS:
The 2021-2022 School year marks the fourth year for Special Olympics at Lake Forest High School. Coach Kramer was part of the coaching staff that established the Special Olympics Program at Lake Forest High School and held the position of head coach for two years. The program has seen tremendous growth and changes over the past three years. One of the big changes was adding Coach Doucette ( Bocce Ball, Basketball, and Track) and Coach McCleary (Track and Field) to the staff. In addition, each year our numbers of both buddies and athletes have increased. Lake Forest Special Olympics allows for students of all abilities to compete and for peer buddies to earn volunteer credit while supporting their peers in athletics and fun! Seasons for Special Olympics include bocce ball (fall), basketball (winter), and track (spring). No prior experience necessary!
We are always accepting more athletes and peer buddies! For questions, reach out to Coach Doucette at mdoucette@lfschools.net
Find out more about these sports by clicking on the team tab.
BOCCE BALL
As outlined by Special Olympics, we work on endurance, flexbility, strength and balance throughout the season. We practice our skills, think about safety, and strive to be good Scouts. Most importantly, we make positive bonds and friendships.
Bocce Ball Homecoming 2021
Happy Halloween, 2021
BOCCE BALL
COACHES
Melissa Doucette, Head Special Olympics Bocce Ball & Basketball, Head Coach Special Olympics Track and Field.
mdoucette@lfschools.net
Coach Doucette joined the Special Olympics coaching staff in 2019.
Coach Doucette has a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Art Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign and a Master's degree in Administration from Roosevelt University.
She has taught art at LFHS since 2001.
Dana Taylor, Assistant Special Olympics Coach Bocce Balldtaylor@lfschools.net
Coach Taylor joined the Special Olympics coaching staff in 2021.
Coach Taylor has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Master's degree in Secondary Education, both from DePaul University, as well as her Special Ed LBS1 from National Louis University.
She has taught at LFHS since 2018.
SCHEDULE
TEAM NEWS
09/13-17/21
During homecoming week, Bocce Ball held a meet and greet for athletes and buddies at east campus. We met some athletes and buddies who are new to LFHS and got in the spirit for Homecoming Week by creating some chalk greetings.
Covid Limits Bocce Ball Activity in 2020
Covid limited what we could do, but it did not stop us from having a fall season that included five athletes and ten student buddies. Our third annual Fall Bocce Tournament was won by Emerson Donohue.
Coed Bocce Ball ended their season with a final practice, an end of the year Halloween party and a bocce tournament. The tournament was won by Quinn Epstein!
Quinn Epstein is winner of bocce Tournament
09/26/19
On Thursday, September 26, Coed Bocce Ball had their inaugural bocce match up against Stevenson High School. The event consisted of conventional bocce ball with Lake Forest and Stevenson athletes rotating into the activity so every one could work on their skills and get to know each other!!!
After about 30 minutes, the athletes combined into just two groups and did additional skills competitions. Lake Forest excelled at accurately delivering their balls close to the pallina while Stevenson exhibited a strength rolling the ball a long distance. Everyone had a great time!
Fall, 2018 is the inaugural season for bocce ball at Lake Forest High School. The athletes who are participating in this first season are:
- Yulissa Castaneda (transition student)
- Tyler Fitzgerald (high school student)
- William Preschlack (high school student)
- Marina Strom (transition student)
- Elliana Tribble (high school student)
- Allison Weeden (transition student)
The student coaches for fall bocce ball are:
- Patrick McNeil (transition student)
- Sydney Rubenstein (high school student)
- Abby Rubin (high school student)
- Honor Thomas (high school student)
Head coach for bocce ball is Madeline Stender and assistant coach is Nick Kramer.
This first season was limited to practices and no competitions with outside schools.
Yulissa Castaneda won the first-ever bocce tournament!
Congratulations, Yulissa!
TEAM ROSTER
Bocce Athletes
Quinn Epstein (transitions)
Tyler Fitzgerald (transitions)
Lucas Cast (transitions)
John Demet (transitions)
Alex Mathee (transitions)
Emerson Donohue (east)
Regan Dean (east)
Sam Ma (east)
Lillian Stauffer (east)
Hannah Hinkemeyer (east)
Jane Riley (east)
peer buddies
Sophie Doucetter
Eva Sharman
Lucy Rogers
Alyson Eleveld
Zofia Olszewski
Brendan Arch
Courtney Fitzgerald
Kayla Wisneski
Scott Weston
Sofia Falls
Kayla Wisneski
BASKETBALL
2021-22 Special Olympics Basketball
Athletes, Coaches and Peer Buddies
2021-22 Special Olympics Basketball
BASKETBALL
COACHES
Melissa Doucette, Head Special Olympics Bocce Ball, Basketball, Special Olympics Track and Field
mdoucette@lfschools.net
Coach Doucette joined the Special Olympics coaching staff in 2019.
Coach Doucette has a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Art Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign and a Master's in Administration from Roosevelt University. She has taught art at LFHS since 2001.
Dana Taylor, Assistant Special Olympics Coach Bocce Ball, Basketballdtaylor@lfschools.net
Coach Taylor joined the Special Olympics coaching staff in 2021.
Coach Taylor has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Master's degree in Secondary Education, both from DePaul University, as well as her Special Ed LBS1 from National Louis University.
She has taught at LFHS since 2018.
SCHEDULE
TEAM NEWS
BASKETBALL 2021 IS UNDERWAY
Special Olympics Basketball 2021 Is Underway!
Basketball is now underway! Our season runs through Tuesday, March 2. Currently, there are ten athletes signed up along with ten student buddies. We are always accepting more athletes and peer buddies! For questions, reach out to Coach Kramer at nkramer@lfschools.net or Coach Doucette at mdoucette@lfschools.net
2019-20 Special Olympics Basketball Practices Have Begun
Our Final Practice of the 2018-19 Season!
Thanks, everyone, for a great first season!
Great Job at the Volkmann Basketball Tournament!
The LFHS Basketball Team Wins 2 and Ties 1 Game in First Basketball Tournament.
Liam takes a shot
Allison makes a basket!
Yulissa dribbles toward the basket.
Thank you to our peer coaches Sydney Rubenstein and Alisa Giannelli and to everyone who came to cheer us on!
The first-ever Special Olympics Basketball game was held at West Campus on Thursday, February 7, 2019
vs Stevenson.
Stevenson came away with the win in a close game 42-50.
The Freshmen Boys Basketball Team attended the first-ever Special Olympics Basketball Game.
Athletic Director Tim Burkhalter makes pre-game announcements at the beginning of the game.
Stevenson and Lake Forest Special Olympic teams
ROSTER
basketball COACHES, Athletes & peer buddies
| Melissa | Doucette | Head Coach |
| Dana | Tayor | Assistant Coach |
| Pete | DelFava | TA |
| Gwen | Love | TA |
| Dani | Rognstad | TA |
| Brock | Zwicke | TA |
| Rayane | Brown-Ouazzani | Athlete |
| Lucas | Cast | Athlete |
| Regan | Dean | Athlete |
| Emerson | Donohue | Athlete |
| John | Demet | Athlete |
| Quinn | Epstein | Athlete |
| Tyler | Fitzgerald | Athlete |
| Hannah | Hinkemeyer | Athlete |
| Alex | Mathee | Athlete |
| Hannah | Miczuga | Athlete |
| Max | Reninger | Athlete |
| Jane | Riley | Athlete |
| Lillian | Stauffer | Athlete |
| Alexandra | Anderson | Buddy |
| Brendan | Arch | Buddy |
| Alia | Attar | Buddy |
| Kate | Bienkowski | Buddy |
| Kelsey | Bumbaco | Buddy |
| Mary | Carter | Buddy |
| Sophie | Doucette | Buddy |
| Sofia | Falls | Buddy |
| Courtney | Fitzgerald | Buddy |
| Katie | Hirsch | Buddy |
| Colin | Martens | Buddy |
| Zofia | Olszewski | Buddy |
| Annie | Page | Buddy |
| Charlotte | Patel | Buddy |
| Lucy | Rogers | Buddy |
| Ashley | Ruprecht | Buddy |
| Grace | Thomas | Buddy |
| Lilliana | Walsh | Buddy |
| Scott | Weston | Buddy |
| Kayla | Wisneski | Buddy |
| Sophia | Zar | Buddy |
TRACK & FIELD
2021 Special Olympics practices have started on Tuesdays and Fridays at east campus from 3:45-4:45. We will have practice on Friday 4/9 even though there is no school.
TRACK & FIELD
COACHES
Melissa Doucette, Head Special Olympics Track & Field Coach
mdoucette@lfschools.net
Coach Doucette has been Head Coach of the Special Olympics Track team since 2020. Prior to this she was an Assistant Coach for Special Olympics Bocce Ball and Basketball this year.
She has taught art at LFHS since 2001.
Coach Doucette has a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Art Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign and a Master's in Administration from Roosevelt University.
Jake McCleary, Assistant Special Olympics Track & Field Coach
jmccleary@lfschools.net
Coach McCleary has been an Assistant Special Olympics Track & Field coach at LFHS since 2020 and his second year coaching.
Coach McCleary received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He is a Teaching Assistant in the Transition Program at Lake Forest High School.
SCHEDULE
TEAM NEWS
2021 Special Olympics Track & Field Season Begins!
4/6/2021
Today was our first practice of Special Olympics Track & Field 2021! Here is a recap of our first practice.
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We circled up, introduced ourselves and answered an ice breaker question to bond with our fellow athletes and buddies.
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We talked about staying fit and types of exercise: endurance (or keeping ourselves moving), strength, flexibility, and balance.
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We talked about the benefits to our bodies of stretching and warming up.
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Then we stretched the muscles we were about to use, and we went on a warm up walk around the track.
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We practiced the tennis ball throw and softball throw events.
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We practiced sprinting or walking fast, depending on our ability and preference.
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Last, we practiced passing the baton for relays.
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We finished by taking a socially distanced group photo for the website.
The weather was beautiful. It was a great day!
We are looking forward to more of our friends joining us
Friday or next week!
Begin 2021 Season
Congratulations
Special Olympics Seniors!
05/30/20
Thanks to LFHS Boosters, this week Special Olympics Track & Field team delivered blankets to our seniors! Congratulations Elliana, Lucas and Rachel on your graduation!
Boosters Honor Special Olympics Track & Field
ROSTER
2021 Track Roster of Buddies and Athletes
| ATHLETES | |
|---|---|
| YEAR | NAME |
| 2021 | Lucas Cast |
| 2023 | Regan Dean |
| 2022 | Emerson Donohue |
| 2019 | Quinn Epstein |
| 2021 | Tyler Fitzgerald |
| 2022 | Hannah Hinkemeyer |
| 2021 | Alexander Mathee |
| 2022 | Jane Riley |
| Transitions | Sean (Ivan) Coughlin |
| 2024 | Sam Ma |
| Transitions | Yulissa Castaneda |
| STUDENT COACHES "BUDDIES" | |
|---|---|
| YEAR | NAME |
| 2021 | Madeleine Arch |
| 2021 | Emily Bertram |
| 2024 | Kate Bienkowski |
| 2022 | Sophie Doucette |
| 2022 | Lucy Rogers |
| 2021 | Sydney Rubenstein |
| 2022 | Eva Sharman |
| 2024 | Scott Weston |
| 2023 | Brendan Arch |
| 2021 | Grace Cook |
| 2022 | Talia Prozument |
| 2021 | Charlie Silver |