RiverWinds Provided an 'Awesome' Facility for Special Olympics Tournament

Although there's lots of discussion in West Deptford these days about how the Township is going to pay for the facility, the RiverWinds Community Center is still the centerpiece of a number of significant events in town.

One of the most rewarding happened earlier this month, when the facility hosted the Special Olympics South Jersey Sectional basketball tournament.

In a statement provided to West Deptford Patch, Mayor Ray Chintall described the tournament as “not only a rewarding event to witness but also a humbling one, in which we are should be thankful for what we have and be aware and lend assistance to those with disabilities.

“My hat goes off to all those who have organized a great event, especially to two fine gentlemen that I met, Brian Wertz and Chris Maddaloni, Special Olympics Basketball Directors,” Chintall wrote. 

Tim LaScala, who is a certified Special Olympics official in three South Jersey counties, said that once you get involved in refereeing the games, “if you don’t do it, you feel like you’re missing something.”

“The volunteers do it for the kids,” LaScala said. “The camaraderie that the officials have with the players and the coaches is a huge reason why we come out; the smiles on their faces.

“A lot of these athletes give you the greatest hugs,” he said. “They’re always happy whether they win or lose; the game is just something that they do.”

LaScala said that athletes get their game faces on for the tournament, and that the prize for the winners—a trip to the Spring sports festival in Wildwood—is all they talk about.

“After they lose one or two games, they don’t look as happy, but they’re still there and they’re playing their hearts out,” LaScala said.

As a tournament facility, LaScala said that the RiverWinds, which hosted 42 games over the sectional weekend, five at a time, “is awesome.

“To be able to have three games going on at one time there without any problems is great,” he said. “The maintenance staff there, they give us everything we need.”

The nine-week season begins in mid-January, and wraps with the sectional weekend, which was held in early March at the RiverWinds, among other facilities.

As many as 53 teams and more than 500 athletes are expected to compete in the tournament April 6 and 7. More than 80 games will be played at six venues. The top two teams from the North, South, East and Central divisions will meet in a non-bracketed final.

Among those teams with roots in the area are multiple teams from the Bankbridge School District, 5 to 6 teams are moving on just from there. Fourteen of the 27 teams from the South Sectional are moving on to the Wildwood Tournament.

For tournament results, click here.