Team Pike County Family Day Aug. 15 at the Troy Sportsplex has been set aside as a special day to bring team family members together for a day of fun and fellowship and also as a day of opportunity for those who want to become team members or just learn more about Team Pike County.

“The goal for the day is to reach those in Pike County with intellectual disabilities who would like to participate in Special Olympics,” said Meredith Welch, an organizer of the event. “Team Pike County is open to ages eight and up and there is no upward age limit and there is no registration fee.”

Team Pike County Family Day will be from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and a hamburger and hotdog lunch will be served.

“This year, we are focusing on five sports – golf, gymnastics, swimming, power lifting and track and field events including the tennis or softball throw, relays, sprints and long jumps,” Welch said.

“On Family Day, we’ll have an area set up for each of the sports. Those who would like to join the team can try the sports they are interested in to see which ones they would like to participate in as a team member. We’ll get them set up and registered for that sport or sports.”

Team members will have opportunities to practice with the coach of their sport as they work toward the local competition in April and the state games in May.

“Some of the sports, such as swimming and power lifting, have sectional meets at different sites including Dothan, Montgomery and Mobile,” Welch said.

“These meets are additional opportunities for the athletes to compete and interact with other athletes so the coaches of these sports may offer these opportunities to Team Pike County members.”

Those who compete in the local games will qualify to participate in the Special Olympics that will be held at Troy University in May.

“Last year, Team Pike County had five athletes who competed, David Spivey, Daniel Jackson, Sairah Garner, Joey Welch and Caleb Brown.

“Team Pike County is a wonderful outreach opportunity for those who enjoy being part of a team and who like to compete,” Welch said.

“We invited anyone who is interested and wants to know more about Team Pike County to attend our Family Day on Saturday, Aug. 15 at the Sportsplex. We’ll have a lot of fun and each participant who registers as a qualifying athlete will receive a goodie bag. Team Pike County souvenirs will be on sale and these items help build team spirit as we begin preparing for the local games in April and the Special Olympics in May.”