Football | 8/29/2015 1:20:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.-----The Wingate University football program hosted its 12th annual Special Olympics Football Field Day at Irwin Belk Stadium Saturday. Men and women of all ages came out to the event to participate in positional drills, while members of the football team cheered for them. The players also connected with the Olympians on a personal level.  
 
"It's a tremendous learning experience for our guys," head coach Joe Reich says when asked what this day means for his team. "It's very core. Our program is meant to be a part of the educational experience here at Wingate and we take that very seriously. Wingate football is all about giving back to the community. It has become a very eye-opening for the players and coaches involved. Everyone gets a great deal out of it, including the participants and their families."
 
The event includes three different interactive stations in which the participants engage: quarterback throwing accuracy, running back footwork and speed and defensive tackling. Every player, coach and participant noticeably has a smile on their face throughout the day and the event means the world to Reich personally as a head coach. "It makes it worth doing," Reich says. "Wins and losses are great, but it's stuff like this that you remember the most. The special experiences you have like this are the ones that can make memories." 
 
The upperclassmen members of the team stood with the Field Day participants as they joyfully engaged in the activities and got them excited. The freshman football players spent the event standing up in the visitors' bleachers embracing the role as the "hype team" for the men and women taking part in the stations and drills. Occasionally, the participants would run over to the freshman section to do a dance or cheer in front of them. This gave the Wingate student-athletes much delight. Everyone appeared to be having the time of their lives.
 
All of the long hours, early mornings, late evenings and rigorous workouts of pre-season camp came to a close this week as football season is rapidly upon us. An event like this one served as humbling experience for the team as they get their minds right for the season opener. "There is more to life than just what we are wrapped up in," Reich says. "We believe this day gives our team a look at life outside our sport. There is more to life than just football. It's great to have the opportunity to give back to the community."
 
Senior linebacker Eric Mapoles particularly has a great time with his involvement in the volunteer service for the program. "It's always a fun day," Mapoles says. "…just to come out and see those guys smiling. The team always enjoys it, so it's a great day."
 
This will be Mapoles final season in the program, so this is his fourth Special Olympics Football Field Day. "I've done this for four years so you know what to expect and you know the guys (participants) a little bit," Mapoles says. "…seeing the same names and faces for the last four years is really exciting."
 
It's definitely a fun-filled day for everyone who takes part in the 12th annual Wingate University Special Olympics Football Field Day. This has become a strong tradition within the program and Coach Reich is very happy with how the event has evolved over the years. "Every year I'm just amazed at how well our guys do this event," Reich says. "(We get) a good feeling coming out of this."
 
The Wingate Bulldogs football team will begin their 2015 season next Saturday (Sept. 5) as they travel down the road to Charlotte to take on The Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m. The Bulldogs will have their home opener at Irwin Belk Stadium and John Martin Field on Sept. 19 for the 15th annual Patriots' Day game against the Brevard College Tornados (1:30 p.m. kick-off). The University will also celebrate Church Youth Day and the Tailgating for the Troops Project on Sept. 19.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, master's degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 15 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past nine years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 77 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 77 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 86 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University sports information/sports network student assistant Jackson Kaplan contributed this article. A freshman from Raleigh, Kaplan is a Sport Management major at Wingate. The former Millbrook High School baseball player is the son of Harrison and Dona Kaplan.)