Area 18 Special Olympics Team Gearing Up for Upcoming Competitions By Jennifer Bailey Staff Writer Covington, VA (Sept. 22, 2025)— The Area 18 Special Olympics team is gearing up for what looks to be an exhilarating season filled with determination, teamwork, and inspiring moments as they prepare to compete at upcoming events. The competitions include soccer, bocce ball, and volleyball, and will be held at Bridgewater College on October 26th, and in Virginia Beach on November 7th-9th. Over the weekend, the Journal was graciously invited to observe one of their practices and chat briefly with a few of the Area 18 organizers. As the players toughed it on the turf at the Jackson River Sports Complex, we interviewed Ruth Britt who has long served as the Area 18 Special Olympics Coordinator. "We do one competition at a time," Britt stated on Sunday. "We talk about Bridgewater because if you talk —they all get excited about Virginia Beach... I'm like 'No. Right now, we're practicing for Bridgewater, so let's just talk about Bridgewater.'" Third-year coach Ben Nicely echoed Britt's sentiments. "They're excited. We're looking forward to it [competitions]... This is so much fun. The community has gotten a lot more involved with them, which is great." These athletes, we noticed, seemed quite driven and practice every Sunday to perfect their skills. According to Nicely, the team is solely funded by donations and every little bit helps. Listed below is the information for Cindy Givens who handles all donations for the Area 18 Special Olympics team. Please be sure to make checks payable to Area 18 Special Olympics. AREA 18 SPECIAL OLYMPICS C/O Cindy Givens 305 S. Craig Ave Covington, VA 24426

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