General | 2/20/2025 1:42:00 PM
WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg College, led by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), hosted its 26th annual Unified Sports Day on Saturday, Feb. 8. The event took place inside the Ohle Wartburg-Waverly “The W” Sports and Wellness Center.
Special Olympic Athletes and Wartburg Athletes teamed up and played games such as basketball, musical chairs, bowling, softball, arts and crafts and many other fun events. Avery Mize and Clay Nielsen from the women’s soccer and men’s basketball team, respectively, were the lead organizers for this year’s event.
“Unified Sports Day has always been a highlight of each year I have been at Wartburg,” said Mize. “I love the opportunity to bring together individuals of all sports and backgrounds for a fun day of exercise and movement!”
“I wanted to help lead this event this year because it was a perfect opportunity to gain experience with leadership in an encouraging environment,” said Nielsen. “I learned a lot about management and helping direct others during this event.
“What keeps me coming back is the smiles that I see on everyone’s faces, including my own,” he continued. “The athletes have a great time at this event, the Wartburg students have a great time at this event, and I myself have a blast!”
In total, Wartburg had 241 student-athlete volunteers, and 78 Special Olympic athletes that participated this year.
“I am so proud that so many Wartburg student-athletes participated in this event,” said Nielsen. “February is a busy time of year for winter and spring/fall athletes, and even finding time on Saturday’s can sometimes be a challenge. Despite that, so many student-athletes show up anyway, put on a big smile, and have an amazing time making the days of these athletes better.”
“It is so amazing that we get such a large participation rate here at Wartburg,” commented Mize. “As the SAAC President, I participate in conference-wide SAAC meetings, and it is so cool to share our awesome opportunities we have to connect with the Waverly community and Iowa Special Olympics!! Wartburg is a standout in this category, and it wouldn’t be this way without the continued participation and support of our athletes here at Wartburg.”
When asked about her favorite part of the day, Mize said, “it is hard to pick just one part of the day. But this year, I predominately was a part of the musical chairs station which turned out to be so much fun and was filled with dancing and laughing. I’d say my absolutely favorite, over the course of these last four years, has been the whole-group basketball game at the end of the event! This basketball game takes place in Center Court, and there are athletes surrounding the court cheering everyone on. It is a really fun atmosphere!”
Nielsen echoed those thoughts. “My favorite part of the day is the basketball game on center court we do with the athletes playing against Wartburg students. I am biased because I play basketball, but it is a great time, and the cheering with everyone around the court is amazing!”
Wartburg SAAC and Special Olympics help make this fun day possible.
“The relationships that are created through this event are long-lasting and meaningful,” said Mize. “Now that I have been a part of this event for four years, I am able to reconnect with friends from previous years. This year was filled with so many joyful hugs and laughs with athletes I met from years past. These relationships really mean a lot to me!”
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