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 The Special Olympics Massachusetts Fall season encompasses senior sports, soccer, equestrian and flag football and cheerleading. The events take place during the months of October and November.
The annual Senior Sports Tournament is held in mid-October on Cape Cod. This is a unique event excusively for athletes over 40 years old who compete in lifetime sports such as race walking, bocce, horseshoes and golf skills. For details, please visit the Senior Sports Tournament webpage.
Soccer is one of the most popular sports for Special Olympics athletes, and it contains the youngest age bracket of athletes in all Special Olympics events. SOMA consistently hosts around 83 teams at the annual State Soccer Tournament at Governor’s Academy in Byfield. Athletes and Unified Partners will compete in five-on-five matches on over 20 fields. For more information, go to the Soccer Tournament webpage.
Flag football made its debut in 2009 at Gillette Stadium and was hosted by the New England Patriots Foundation. More than 35 football and 8 cheerleading Special Olympics Athletes and Unified® Partners from across Massachusetts, Rhode Island Connecticut and New Hampshire compete in the event, which featured Unified 5x5 flag football games, football skills and cheerleading demonstrations. For more information, see the Flag Football and Cheerleading webpage.
Over 110 athletes also compete in the Fall Equestrian Tournament at Windrush Farms in Boxford and Ironstone Farms in Andover. The event hosts both English and Western Style riding. Equestrian is popular among Special Olympics athletes due to the competitive aspect of the event as well as the therapeutic nature of the sport. Riding therapy has been used for hundreds of years as a tool to help individuals with disabilities become healthier and more conducive to physical activity. SOMA’s annual Fall Tournament is another way the organization remains a leader in providing healthy lifestyles through year-round sports and healthcare-related programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
 Special Olympics Massachusetts would like to dedicate this year’s Fall season events to Barbara DeNitto our long time Equestrian Director who passed away last winter.
Barbara was instrumental in bringing the sport of Equestrian to Special Olympics Massachusetts as she founded the program and continued to be heavily involved until she passed last winter.
Barbara’s finger prints are all over the program and her vision will help guide the Special Olympics Massachusetts equestrian program long into the future. Her leadership and guidance and love for our athletes will forever be missed.
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