SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Members of the Slippery Rock University men's basketball program recently took a break from their spring semester to work with the Butler County Special Olympics basketball team.
 
Slippery Rock student-athletes and coaching staff helped the Butler County Special Olympics basketball team prepare for their upcoming tournaments with a practice at McQuistion Elementary School in Butler, Pennsylvania.
 
"Our athletes absolutely loved playing your team," Butler County Special Olympics coach Jeff Myers said to SRU head coach Ian Grady. "The young men that came were fine ambassadors for Slippery Rock University."
 
As part of the practice, The Rock men's basketball program set up skill stations which allowed SRU players to interact with and provide personal one-on-one coaching to the Special Olympic athletes before holding 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 scrimmages.
 
This year marked the third consecutive season in which the Slippery Rock men's basketball program worked with the Butler County Special Olympics team.
 
The mission of Special Olympics Pennsylvania is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
 
All training and competition opportunities are provided free of charge to the athletes and their families, enabling everyone to experience the benefits of Special Olympics that extend well beyond the playing field.
 
For more information on how to get involved with the Special Olympics, visit www.specialolympicspa.org and click on become a volunteer or contact Mary Pitzer, the team leader in Butler County by phone at 724-738-1477.
 
Slippery Rock concluded its 2024-25 season with a 15-14 overall record that included an 11-9 mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition. The Rock qualified for the PSAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Western Division. SRU has now recorded winning campaigns in 15 of the last 16 completed seasons while qualifying for the PSAC Tournament for eight consecutive years.
 
 



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