Coach Clave hits the world stage

BY PATRICIA KELLER
WEST MILFORD — West Milford Special Olympics’ Coach Kristi Clave has been selected to be a coach for Special Olympics Team USA at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, California, from July 25 through Aug. 2, 2015. Clave will join with the other coaches from across the nation in coaching the Special Olympics athletes in track and field events.

Volunteering from an early ageClave has been involved with Special Olympics since she was a student at Maple Road Elementary School herself. She said,

“I began volunteering in third grade through a friendship I developed with a girl my age who happened to be a Special Olympics athlete,” said Clave.

Clave said she volunteered throughout her school years at Maple Road, Macopin, and West Milford High School.

“While in middle and high school, Denise Drexler, Sue Zangara, and Judy Meusel were teachers and/or coaches who I admired and learned a lot from,” she said.. “They all provided me with a lot of direction at a young age.”

Throughout college, Clave became even more involved with Special Olympics, expanding her volunteer experiences throughout Passaic County.

“I was able to volunteer with athletes of all ages and abilities and experience sports that I hadn't prior to then.”

Recognizing a need and taking action

Clave later became a teacher herself at Maple Road Elementary School, teaching the multiple disabilities class. At that time, she realized the Special Olympics team no longer existed.

“I was saddened to see that the West Milford Special Olympics team had been dissolved.”

Clave reached out to the area director of Passaic County Special Olympics, Rich Deska, and inquired about starting up a team.

“Rich has since been a mentor, friend, and great wealth of knowledge in all things Special Olympics,” said Clave. As a result of Clave’s inquiry, the “Maple Road Mustangs” Special Olympics Team was formed.

A growing teamThe Maple Road Mustangs first competed in an area competition in the spring of 2008.

“We had six athletes on the team and five volunteers," Clave recalled. "At the time, I was the only coach and Ruth O'Brien assisted with Special Olympics skills during Adaptive Physical Education.”

The team rapidly grew over the years, with more athletes, volunteers, and a change of name to “West Milford Special Olympics” (WMSO). Clave heads up the coaching staff for the WMSO and now has three assistant coaches: Kristen Alonso, Barbara Brand, and Nicole Lungaro. She also now has “more volunteers than I know what to do with sometimes.” For the 2013-2014 sports season, the WMSO had 36 athletes ranging in age from 3 to 24 and more than 40 volunteers.

“West Milford Special Olympics brought 16 athletes to our overnight Summer Games for Track and Field at The College of New Jersey," Clave said. "Our volunteers even drove down to come cheer us on!”

From local to national gamesIn the summer of 2013, Clave applied for a coaching position for the USA National Games that were held in New Jersey from June 14- 21, 2014. She said seven of the WMSO athletes also tried out for the team. Clave was selected for one of the six assistant coach positions, and helped train 22 New Jersey athletes, including two of WMSO's own - Destiny Gerety and CJ Huerta.

“All of the coaches worked together to train athletes and we all figured out what our strongest training abilities were,” Clave said.

She specifically did much of the training with the mini-javelin throwers and the standing long jumpers.

“The year was an exciting one filled with training and we all awaited the opening ceremonies to kick off our week of competition,” said Clave.

While Clave found the competitions exciting, and Team NJ brought home many gold medals, she said that was not the most meaningful part of the experience.

“You could feel the electricity in the air during opening ceremonies. I, myself, got chills and teary eyes," said Clave.

From national to world gamesClave said she couldn’t help but get excited when applications came out for the World Games. She applied immediately.

“Bill Kane, principal at Maple Road Elementary School, supported the quick turn over of the application and wrote me a beautiful recommendation letter,” she said. As a newer coach and with only one experience coaching in a national competition, Clave said she did not expect to be called for an interview, but remained hopeful. When she received a call for an interview from Steven Meurett, the head track and field coach of Special Olympics Team USA, she felt honored to even get an interview.

“As I awaited the news of whether or not I would be accepted, I kept picturing how amazing it would be,” Clave said. Two days later she received a call from Meurett offering her one of the coaching positions for Team USA. He said it will be "the hardest job you'll ever love." Clave said she is extremely excited about the opportunity.

Preparation, training, and sharing WMSO pride with Team USA

Preparation for the 2015 World Games has begun. Clave attended a training camp with other Special Olympics Team USA coaches last October in Indianapolis, Indiana. Clave said the training camp allowed her “to meet really smart, motivated, awesome coaches who share the same passion for Special Olympics as I have.” Clave said she learned a great deal in the short time during the training, and special bonds have already been formed among the attendees.

“The training camp was a little less than a week long and the bonds that I have formed with these athletes and coaches are already bonds that I know I will value and keep close to me for more than just this year," said Clave.

Clave said that like the USA games, she again seemed to focus a lot with the javelin throwers.

“Each coach really seemed to find their place and we all really worked so well as a team for just meeting one another,” Clave said.

She said there are 32 athletes in total on the Special Olympics Team USA track and field team. She will be assisting and supporting athletes through a long-distance coaching approach by working with athletes, their families, and their local coaches from all over the United States until the actual 2015 World Games competition in California in the summer. And she will bring a bit of West Milford with her.

“I'm eager to train with new athletes and coaches from throughout the United States and bring my West Milford Special Olympics pride with me!”