(Middle Tennessee) For the first time since 2019, over 200 Special Olympics Tennessee athletes and Unified Partners representing 19 teams will compete in the Special Olympics Tennessee (SOTN) State Flag Football Tournament this Saturday, October 1 at Franklin Road Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. A Rutherford County team will participate in the exciting event, along with other athletes from across the state.
Special Olympians will travel to Middle Tennessee to compete against their peers in their respective divisions. 10 of the 19 teams participating will be Unified Teams where Special Olympics athletes play with Unified Partners. In addition, more that 30 athletes will be participating in flag football skills-only sessions. Over 100 volunteers from around the community will be present to help the event run smoothly.
“This event is so important to our Flag Football programs because of the high level of competition it brings,” said Cate Simon, SOTN Director of Competitions. “Athletes, coaches and Unified Partners from across the state come together to compete for state medals and I am so excited to see each one of them give it their all on the field. I cannot wait to see the competitive fire in our athletes as they fight for their areas to be the best they can be.
The event will begin with an opening ceremony at 8:30 AM with competitions beginning at 9:00 AM. The event will end at approximately 3:00 PM. The public are invited to come to Franklin Road Academy to cheer on the teams all day. Admission is free.
“Our athletes are rock solid on the gridiron; spectators can expect to see serious competition from start to finish,” said Simon. “There will be loud cheers echoing across the fields, SportsCenter Top 10 worthy plays being made and distinguished awards ceremonies concluding competition.”
Teams from the following cities/counties will be present: Nashville/Davidson County, Chattanooga, Cheatham County, Loudon County, Marshall County, Maury County, Putnam/Warren/White Counties, Rutherford County, Sumner County, Williamson County and Wilson County. Information on area programs can be found here.
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Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
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