By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Hundreds of athletes from across the Sunflower State will gather in Hays this week as the city hosts the Special Olympics Kansas State Basketball and Cheerleading Tournament.
The two-day event will be on Friday and Saturday in Hays and Manhattan, following qualifying competitions across the state.
Brent Kaiser, director of competitions and training, said about 562 athletes and 121 coaches are expected to participate in Hays alone.
"It's a big-time event. Teams from all over the state come to compete," Kaiser said.
A total of 120 teams will compete in Hays and Manhattan. You can find the basketball and cheerleading tournament schedule for both locations here.
In Hays, games and events will be at Gross Memorial Coliseum, Cunningham Hall, the Hays Recreation Commission and the Ellis County Fairgrounds.
Friday begins with a traditional opening ceremony at 9 a.m. in the coliseum before athletes move into the first competition: individual skills.
"The individual skills competition alone is three different activities. It's the wall pass, spot shot and a 10-meter dribble," Kaiser said. "We have a separate competition that is also part of the skills competition, but it's called the speed dribble competition."
Tournament games will begin at 12:30 p.m. in multiple gyms at Fort Hays State University’s Cunningham Hall and the Hays Recreation Commission, with the tourney resuming at 9 a.m. Saturday at both locations.
Friday ends with a banquet at 5 p.m. and a dance at 7 p.m. at the Ellis County Fairgrounds.
Saturday will also feature the cheerleading competition at 8:30 a.m. in the coliseum. Team basketball is set for 9:30 a.m.
Ten cheerleading teams will perform two cheers during the competition and will be judged by the FHSU cheer team. Both basketball players and cheerleaders will compete for medals.
Concessions will be available during competitions.
"We encourage people from the community to come out and loudly cheer on our athletes. There is no entry fee to any of the competitions. It's free for everyone," Kaiser said.
The Special Olympics Kansas State Basketball Tournament in Hays began in 1976. Kaiser said the event began shortly after Gross Memorial Coliseum opened in 1973 and has since served as the competition's primary venue.
"This is our longest-standing event in one location, and it's important to us. It's a huge part of what we do, and hosting it here in Hays is a huge tradition," he said.
In the tournament's first year, 38 teams participated. Today, the event has grown significantly, with 50 teams competing in Hays, including 19 from out of town. Some of the tournament's longest-tenured athletes are from Hays.
Originally, the entire state tournament was at a single location. In 2018, Kaiser said organizers split it into two sites to accommodate growing participation and increased demand for hotel space.
Kaiser said this year also marks the celebration of one of the tournament’s longest and most dedicated supporters: the Knights of Columbus.
"For those 50 years, the Knights of Columbus has been a huge sponsor and supporter of the event," he said. "The Knights of Columbus do Tootsie Roll drives all over the state. Those support our state basketball competitions and provide this opportunity for our athletes relatively free of charge."
Kaiser said the Knights of Columbus also advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Kansas, in addition to their fundraising efforts.
Most basketball teams competing in Hays are from western Kansas, while others are traveling from communities as far as Salina, McPherson, Pittsburg and the Wichita area. Each team will receive snacks and meals from local businesses to support visiting athletes.
A newer addition to the annual event is health screenings through its Healthy Athletes program. Kaiser said athletes’ participation in the tournament offers several benefits.
"All of our opportunities and competitions provide a chance for athletes to learn teamwork skills, decision making, leadership and goal setting, along with developing self-confidence," he said.
Kaiser said 200 volunteers are required for the two-day event, and more are still needed, such as referees.
Volunteers ages 12 to 15 may participate with adult supervision, while those 16 and older can volunteer independently. You can register to volunteer here.
"These are real athletes. They practice a lot at a high level, and I hope attendees can see the joy that our athletes bring and the excitement this opportunity brings them when they come out to these competitions," Kaiser said.
You can find more information on the Special Olympics Kansas website.