Allied soccer's Pumpkin Bowl a hit
On Wednesday at Hereford High, the 16th annual Baltimore County Pumpkin Bowl took place, an Allied Sports Program soccer tournament featuring 11 schools. Three fields were set up across the Hereford stadium turf with each team playing three 15-minute games. Two first-year programs -- Franklin (coached by Kieran O'Connell) and Milford Mill (Gordon Amato) -- were among the teams competing.
No winners were declared at the Pumpkin Bowl, which stresses camaraderie and friendly competition. Dundalk (coached by Meredith Bagnell) won the regular season in the East division and Hereford (Weston Fellows) won the West division.
Modeled after the Special Olympics’ "Unified Sports" program, Allied Sports is a totally inclusive program that affords students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports along-side their non-disabled peers.
The program was designed for students who are interested in playing a sport but do not necessarily possess the skill or desire to play on a varsity or junior varsity team. There are three Allied sports offered, one per season with soccer offered in the fall, bowling in the winter, and softball in the spring. All team activities are co-ed with the appropriate rule modifications to ensure a safe and successful experience for all students, regardless of ability.
The goals of the Allied Sports Program and those of the existing interscholastic athletic program are similar. Both programs strive to teach students good sportsmanship, to build positive self-esteem, to acquire new sport-specific skills, to improve physical fitness, to foster new friendships, and to develop the concept of teamwork.
