Soccer, Smiles and Summer Vibes: Special Olympics, Summer Games

On a beautiful Sunday in June, the Give Back Girls brought our team spirit to the 2025 Special Olympics Connecticut Summer Games—and what a great time we had volunteering at the soccer event!

This was a new volunteer opportunity for us, as we have helped with cycling and skiing in the past. We owe a huge thank you to my JFK colleague, Rachael, for the awesome suggestion. Although we missed having Arlene with us this time, I was thrilled to join Sunshine, Joelle, and Colleen on the field. There were also some familiar faces from JFK: big shoutout to Theresa, Mary, and Charlotte for coming out to help too! Great job, Rachael for getting everyone together. 

The event took place at Hamden Hall’s athletic fields, where two soccer games ran side by side. Sunshine and Joelle took charge on one field, keeping things running smoothly as time and scorekeepers, while Colleen and I got up close and personal with the action on the other field as ball girls. And let me tell you—being that close to the game was awesome! Our job? Keep the ball in play! Every time a ball went out of bounds, we’d spring into action: hand a new ball to the right player (or goalie!) and then run to grab the one that rolled off. It kept us on our toes the whole time!

One of the best parts of our day was hearing the athletes cheer each other on, win or lose. The love and support on those fields was incredible. Kudos to the athletes and coaches for all of their hard work in preparing for the games.

Feeling inspired? If you’re interested in joining the fun and giving back, check out upcoming volunteer opportunities at Special Olympics CT or our website https://www.givebackgirls.org/volunteer-opportunities.