Jayhawks spend afternoon with Douglas County Special Olympics

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball hosted one its most anticipated events of the year when Olympians from Douglas County Special Olympics joined the Jayhawks inside Allen Fieldhouse for a two-hour clinic on Thursday afternoon.
 
“It’s so great to have you all join us this afternoon,” head coach Brandon Schneider said during his introduction prior to the start of the clinic. Thursday’s clinic marks the second under the third-year head coach.
 
KU welcomed 30 of its most loyal fans to campus for its annual basketball clinic, which took a hiatus last summer. The clinic was a must this year for both members of the Kansas women’s basketball program and the Douglas County Special Olympics.
 
“I heard they held one the year before I got here and was jealous,” said soon-to-be junior Kylee Kopatich. “I talked to coach and kept telling him we need to bring this back because these are our biggest fans and it’s so much fun to get the chance to interact with them. Especially, since we don’t get a chance to interact with them as much during the season.”
 
Thursday’s clinic opened with a group photo, along with a welcome and introductions from Schneider and the student-athletes. From there, participants were divided into four groups and rotated through stations ran by the KU student-athletes highlighting various basketball skills, including form shooting and lay-ups, defense and rebounding, agility and passing, and around the world shooting.
 
“We are going to try and have as much fun as they do because they bring so much good energy, it’s hard to match,” Kopatich said. 
 
After a short drink break, the Olympians and Jayahwks divided up into teams for a shooting game. The clinic closed with autographs and more pictures in the south concourse of Allen Fieldhouse.
 
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