Pickleball’s popularity is ever-expanding with various groups emerging. In Manatee County, the Special Olympics pickleball program is entering its third season.
Theresa Capozzoli, a Bradenton/Sarasota Pickleball ambassador, was inspired by her late sister to pursue the sport for the Special Olympics athletes. Anne Marie, who had Down Syndrome and competed in Special Olympics bowling and swimming, passed away six years ago at the age of 53.
Capozzoli took up pickleball four years ago while living in Pennsylvania and, like many, fell in love with the sport.
“I thought I was a great athlete until I hit the ball into a basketball net,” she said. “I kept hearing my sister say, ‘You can do it.’”
In 2022, Capozzoli approached Pam Fazio, Manatee County’s director of Special Olympics, about implementing a pickleball program. The group now plays at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.
“We were just starting a pickleball program, so it was meant to be,” Fazio said.
The program hits close to home for Fazio, whose 44-year-old daughter Melissa plays numerous sports with the athletes. Melissa has been part of Special Olympics teams in basketball, bocce ball, bowling, swimming, cornhole and golf.
“She loves pickleball,” Fazio said, adding that for her daughter pickleball is “probably up near the top.”
Capozzoli has coached the athletes in pickup sessions as well as pickleball tournaments (with unified partners) for area and state games for the past two years, with many of them bringing back medals. This year, regional games have been added to the mix and the coach envisions plenty more medals to be won.
Initially a group of 18, now 34 athletes are part of the program, with pickleball sessions taking place on Wednesday evenings for two hours.
“The first rule is to have fun,” Capozzoli said. “I love them. They are so wonderful. They show up unless they have an excused absence. (After the weekly sessions) they don’t want to
go home.”
Fazio lauded the woman referred to by the athletes as “coach Tree,” saying, “She has a good heart.”
David Tabb, a co-founder of All Florida Pickleball, is equally impressed with Capozzoli’s passion for the sport and her work with Special Olympics.
“Working with people like Theresa Capozzoli to grow her Special Olympics pickleball program has been an absolute honor,” he said. “There are so many ways to help grow this sport. She followed her passion and looked at what had happened. Pickleball is an official Special Olympics sport (in Florida).”
Pickleball was showcasedat the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando in 2022.
BY STEVE LEE
Times Total Media Correspondent
Photos courtesy of Theresa Capozzoli
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