SOURWOOD COMMUNITY SOCCER CHALLENGE SET,BUNCOMBE COUNTY SPECIAL OLYMPIANS RECOGNIZED
BLACK MOUNTAIN—Charles D. Owen High School and Asheville Christian Academy are once again battling for the special Sourwood Community Shield in the second annual Sourwood Community Soccer Challenge, which includes NCHSAA member schools and private schools teaming together to benefit the Buncombe County Special Olympics.
Three games will be played on Friday, starting at 4 p.m. with East Henderson against Carolina Day School. Then at 6 p.m. Polk County faces Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy and at 8 p.m. Owen takes on Asheville Christian.
The Saturday schedule will feature three matches, at 3:30 p.m. with Polk against Carolina Day, followed by East Henderson against Asheville Christian at 5:30 p.m. and at 7:30 Owen will tangle with Thomas Jefferson.
The whole purpose of the event is to raise awareness and funds for the Special Olympics. At stake is the Sourwood Community Shield Bowl, a “functional” trophy which is used by the school that wins it the Owen-ACA match to pass around at sporting events to raise money for Special Olympics. It will passed around at every match this weekend.
In addition, on Saturday morning at eleven o’clock at Owen, Buncombe County Special Olympians will play their counterparts from McDowell. Then players from Charles D. Owen and Asheville Christian, opponents the night before, will join the players from the two Special Olympics teams for a Project Unify soccer match. It will be followed by a cookout for all of those involved Saturday afternoon.
Tate MacQueen, head soccer coach at Owen, said, “As educators, it is important to embrace the idea that we are life-long learners as much as teachers. As coaches, it is imperative to recalibrate the concept of competition to form healthy rivalries, where service to others in the community can be an extension.
“By modeling the actions we desire from others, the coaches and players at Owen and Asheville Christian aspire to see others take the idea and craft it into developing relationships between rival teams partnering with Special Olympics programs across the state and the nation. The goal is to show what is truly possible through the Spirit of Soccer.”
