2010 Special Olympics Summer Games

This is my third (second consecutive) time being a photographer for the Southern California Special Olympics Summer Games.

Every year in June the Special Olympics hold their Summer Games at Long Beach State University, so when I received an email from a Special Olympic Representative inquiring about me coming out to photograph the event, I was more than happy say yes.

This year I was given the assignment to cover Bocce Ball and Basketball. I'm not new to photographing and covering basketball, but Bocce Ball was a different story. Last year I took the challenge and covered golf, which wasn't getting much if any coverage during the Summer Games. I was very pleased with my results as were the people with the Special Olympics. Because of the quality shots I provided them of the golf venue, I was given the assignment to shoot Bocce Ball this year. I took the challenge head on going out there with the mind set that I was going to show the excitement and intensity in which these athlete's compete at.

Now to the "Games", which start with the parade of athletes. This consists of law enforcement officers and volunteers lining up with the athletes coming in onto the field between them.

This first shot means so much to me and is dedicated to the California Highway Patrol, who in the week prior to the Summer Games lost two of their officers (Note the black band on their badges and the badge of the LAPD officer to your right).

Here you see the athlete's walking between the law enforcement officers during the parade of athletes.

The color guard from the Long Beach Police Department.

Motor Officers from various Southern California departments lead the way for the torch.

Seconds away from the start of the Summer Games with the torch on it's way in.

"Bocce Ball"

The athlete with the ball was wheel chair bound. His team mate would help him slowly out of his wheel chair and help into the throwing area, at which time he would hold him up and keep him steady as he threw the ball. This here is what the summer games is about. There's no thought about this man's disability, only team work and the desire to compete.

Now we get to basketball. I moved between two courts back and forth to cover as many games as I could and get a good range of action shots from the various teams.