‘We’re all Bearcats.’ Aledo schools meet growing demand with Special Olympics program

It’s long been established that Aledo and sports form a special connection and that Bearcats athletes take a lot of pride in their grit.

Now, the school district has launched its first Special Olympics program, appropriately named Bearcat GRIT. The designation fulfills a longstanding request from folks in town, Aledo schools Superintendent Susan Bohn said.

“Special Olympics is something our community has asked about doing for years, and we are so grateful for our special programs department for taking on this tall task to make it happen for our students and community,” Bohn said. “We know our students, staff and families will be excited to cheer on our Special Olympics student-athletes, and I can’t wait to continue the tradition of athletic success.”

Rebecca Faulkner, director of special programs, said the district began reaching out to Special Olympics about becoming a delegation in 2019. However, the process was slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We cannot wait to see this program grow as the district continues to grow,” Faulkner said. “We have already seen so much excitement from our student-athletes, who always feel so welcome and included in our campus. It’s exciting to have this event just for them.”

The program will begin with track for students in grades 9-12 to compete in the spring. Recruiting for cheerleading in that same grade group will also be in the spring with community events this summer and games in the fall.

The track schedule includes a meet at the Mustang-Panther Relays in Grapevine on March 9, the Southlake/Birdville Tri-Meet on April 2 and Roo Fest in Weatherford on April 22. The Aledo school district will also host a meet on March 25.

“As we reached out to the community, the major areas of interest for athletes have been track and cheerleading,” Faulkner said. “Right now we would like to build our programs of track and cheerleading and focus on growing relationships in those specific areas. But we would love to and have plans to expand as we learn more, build our program and reach more students.”

Faulkner said plans are to include younger ages in the future.

“As we are focusing on these two sports, we want to build back into the younger ages, allowing for growth in participation and the opportunity for our older athletes to work alongside our younger athletes as role models in the sport,” she said.

Dustin Loyd, an English teacher and football and track coach at Aledo High School, will coach the track team. Amber Birchmier and Debbie Fields will be the Aledo Excite! cheerleading coaches.

“This is my first year coaching with Special Olympics. My previous experience in the realm of students with disabilities was when I was in college. I spent a summer working at an Autistic Therapy center in Fort Worth,” Loyd said. “We serviced a wide array of students with special needs.

“I really fell into this opportunity. Coach Steve Wood, our athletic director, called me and asked if it is something I’d be interested in. And, being a man of faith, it was something my wife and I prayed over first. We decided it was something we were called to do and we really haven’t looked back.”

This Special Olympics Texas Delegation comes on the heels of Aledo High School being named a Unified Champion School through Special Olympics Texas. Schools with this designation aim to promote social inclusion through activities effecting school-wide change.

A Unified Champion School has a school climate where students with and without intellectual disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities and functions.

“Being a Unified Champion School is a great honor for Aledo High School and is a testament to the environment and mindset that we’re all Bearcats,” Bohn said. “AHS is a special place where our students are so supportive of each other in everything they do.”

To learn more about the Bearcat Grit Special Olympics team and how you can get involved, visit www.aledoisd.org/specialolympics.

This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.