And I was wrong. Who knew there are so many rules in badminton? We were given a quick 30 minute crash course in badminton and then went off to officiate matches. I'm pretty sure that I was a horrible court official. I think I was more nervous than the athletes. Medals and badminton glory were on the line and I didn't want to make a bad call (which I'm sure I did).
Seriously though, Special Olympics was a lot of fun. And, as cheesy as it sounds (and I know it sounds really cheesy), winning and losing took a backseat at Special Olympics. The athletes typified the very meaning of good sportsmanship. It was very rewarding to see the sense of accomplishment from all the athletes. It's one of those moments when you can see what makes sports so great. I feel privileged to to have had a small role in the event's operations and helping facilitate that experience. Plus they gave us t-shirts and some lunch! Hopefully I didn't make too many bad calls and we're allowed to come back in the future.
Two side notes:
- Power lifting was going on at the same time. I didn't have a chance to watch it much (because, as I previously explained, I was so focused on my matches and not ruining badminton glory), but what I did see was really impressive. Put it this way: I was at the gym the next day and felt quite inadequate... more than normal.
- My mom decided that, in her continual effort to be as politically correct as possible, the game should called "good-minton". She also told a few of my friends to not let bartenders put fruit in their drinks. It's a germs/hygiene kick that she's on. My mom is full of all sorts of great advice.
For more information on Special Olympics South Carolina, please visit www.so-sc.org.
