| Sullivan High teacher wins Special Olympics Coach of the Year |
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| Written by Jaime Baranyai | ||||||
| Tuesday, March 09 2010 | ||||||
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SULLIVAN – Sullivan High School special education teacher Karen Ryan has been a Special Olympics coach for 31 years. This year, she has been named Coach of the Year.The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with mental disabilities. It gives them opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and share skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Special Olympics is more than just sports. It gives athletes the confidence and skills to get better grades, hold jobs and earn respect. The coaches and volunteers get a lot from the experience, too. “I love Special Olympics,” said Ryan, who recently was named Coach of the Year. “Special Olympics is a blessing to me. It’s been a joy my whole life. The memories are something you hold in your heart forever.” One of her many fond memories was taking the softball team to the Nationals in 2006. “We won a bronze medal – we were third in the nation,” she said, beaming with pride. One of her students was recently inducted into the Special Olympics Hall of Fame, and two of her athletes have competed in the Special Olympics World Games. She’s also proud of the fact that her basketball team won the “Cholly” award for the team with the best sportsmanship at the state basketball competition last year. Although she’s the coach, Ryan said her kids have taught her valuable lessons. “You learn so much from them,” she said. “They have big hearts and they’re accepting of everything and everyone – they don’t judge. They teach you how to live life and enjoy every moment.” Sullivan High School student and Special Olympics athlete Jasmine Guirguis said Ryan, who coaches her basketball team, deserves to be Coach of the Year. “Her personality is really sweet, and she’s caring and loving,” Guirguis said. “She helps us get better and we learn from her.” Fellow Special Olympics coach Hannah Huitt, who also teaches special education at Sullivan High School, said Ryan is a great coach. “She’s awesome and the kids all love her,” Huitt said. “She’s good at what she does.” Ryan said the award came as a complete surprise. “I was very honored, and I felt humbled,” she said. “I was delighted for them to have even considered me.” Ryan, who starting volunteering with Special Olympics in 1979, has coached track and field, basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, floor hockey and bowling over the years. She is currently the basketball and softball coach for Special Olympics athletes in the Sullivan School District. Because Sullivan hasn’t hosted a Special Olympics event, athletes are constantly traveling to other places for competitions. That’s a plus, Ryan said. “We go all over the state, and that allows them to learn so many social skills,” she said. “We stay in hotels, order at restaurants, it’s all very good and it’s lots of fun. The kids make so many friends and they learn how to interact with others.” It’s not the games that keep Ryan coming back year after year. It’s the athletes. “The kids are amazing,” she said. (Jaime Baranyai can be reached at 860-NEWS or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
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