SEATTLE (Dec. 6) – Four Seattle University coaches will help the city of Seattle host the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games. Women’s soccer head coach Julie Woodward and men’s soccer head coach Pete Fewing will serve as ambassadors for the event, while tennis head coach Adam Reeb and women’s soccer associate head coach Rich Schreiner will act as sport commissioners.
The Games are slated for July 1-6, 2018, in various sites around Seattle. SU Park, Championship Field and the Connolly Complex will host events and officials on Seattle U’s campus. Over 3,500 athletes will compete in the week-long competition.
“There are a lot of components to putting on a quality event,” said John Borgognoni, Senior Director, Sports & Programs. “Two of the biggest components are venue and staff. To have SU Park, Championship Field and the Connolly Complex to help host the event is so important, knowing we’ll have our athletes on some of the top facilities in the state. And then at each venue, we’re in need of quality expertise, and that’s what these coaches will provide.”
Woodward recently finished her 20th season as the Redhawks’ women’s soccer head coach. She is a Seattle University Hall of Famer (inducted as a player) and has won 275 games as the Redhawks’ coach.
“I feel very honored and privileged to have been asked to be an ambassador for the 2018 USA games,” said Woodward. “I am looking forward to my involvement and assisting in any way possible. Special Olympics is such a wonderful organization that brings so many people together. They provide a wonderful environment for Special Olympic athletes to not just exercise but participate in athletics to help gain self-esteem, confidence and independence while raising community understanding of people with disabilities. This is going to be an amazing event and I'm thrilled that our state will be hosting the 2018 USA Games.”
Fewing completed his fifth season with the Redhawks’ men’s soccer program at the Division I level and his 23rd year overall. He has led SU to 274 victories in his tenure.
“This is an incredible opportunity for Seattle University to provide the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games and community with a competitive environment for some of the top athletes in the world,” said Fewing. “I am truly grateful and humbled to have been asked to be an ambassador for such a fantastic event. The Games are a representation of competition, sportsmanship, community, and commitment and I am excited to serve the mission of Seattle U in the tradition of the Special Olympics USA Games.”
Reeb is in the midst of his second year at SU. In 2015-16, he guided the men to 11 wins, tying the program’s Division I record.
"It is truly an honor to be named the Sports Commissioner for Tennis for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games,” said Reeb. “This event is going to be a great showcase for all of the best athletes in the country, and I know the city of Seattle and Seattle University are ecstatic to be involved in hosting the Games. The cornerstone of our program and University as a whole in being a Jesuit institution is service to others, getting involved in our community and being able to help with the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games will be a great opportunity to do that."
Schreiner, in his ninth season with the Redhawks, has volunteered at Special Olympics events since his childhood. He worked under the Sports Commissioner at the 2014 USA Games in New Jersey and the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles. He and Joe Hampson, the Vice President of Program Development for the Special Olympics, were instrumental in the development of the Unified Soccer Experience, a program started in 2009 that features athletes with and without disabilities playing together. It has since expanded to the high school and collegiate level around the country.
“To be involved in Unified Sports and the Special Olympics at this stage is awesome,” said Schreiner. “You’re not just providing a great experience for the people at the games, you’re also contributing to the future of the sport throughout the country.”