Special Olympics at Saint Viator High School Created Some Special Connections

Saint Viator student volunteers learned some valuable social and emotional skills at the Special Olympics Illinois regional volleyball tournament on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Nolan Dowling, Saint Viator Athletic Director, worked with Brenden Cannon, Director – Region B, and Nate Barney, Manager, Region B Sports, from Special Olympics Illinois, to host their traditional volleyball tournament, an all-day event. 

Student athletes from Saint Viator’s boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams and boys’ soccer teams were on hand to assist with setup, game scoring, refereeing, cheering, and supporting the Special Olympics athletes. A group of three boys from the volleyball team, Nate Gauthier, Tommy Cholewa, and Owen Geroux, were on hand to help. Owen remarked, “It’s great to see them join together and be competitive”, while Nate added, “It’s cool to see others playing a sport I love and that all levels can play.”

Saint Viator’s Marketing Consultant, Beth Zimmerman, had the opportunity to interview some of the visiting athletes from Special Olympics, including a 26-year veteran powerlifting athlete, Stephen Katz. “I love powerlifting, and now I am an athlete leader. One, Two, Three Rebels is my team,” he said. Stephen also enjoys buddy baseball and basketball.

Both gymnasiums were buzzing with four volleyball games occurring at the same time. Pete Beale-DelVecchio, President & CEO of Special Olympics Illinois, came to cheer on the players and talk with the proud parents. One devoted volleyball player, Josh, had a huge smile when Pete cheered him on from the stands and shouted, “Nice hit, Josh! You’re doing great.” Beth caught up with Josh after the match and asked him what his winning strategy was, and he said, “I just want to get it over the net! I love playing volleyball, basketball, and golf!”

Brenden Cannon, Director-Region B, was busy behind the scenes planning this well-attended volleyball tournament and remarked, "I have worked for Special Olympics Illinois for close to 15 years. We have partnered with numerous schools to host our competitions, and Saint Viator went above and beyond for our volleyball event! The faculty ensured everything was set up, offered their equipment, and the students who volunteered were the key to the event’s success. We received nothing but positive feedback from coaches, parents, and athletes. This was a perfect start to our new partnership."

 

"It is extremely important to include the local community and provide exposure to our amazing Special Olympics Illinois athletes. From the time we arrived until we left, everything felt inclusive and welcoming. The atmosphere and energy that the Saint Viator faculty and students brought to our athletes made this a quality competition that everyone benefited from. Special Olympics Illinois is looking forward to growing our partnership with Saint Viator, and we are confident it will be a long-lasting one."