Sports

County Sports Program Puts Disabled Students on the Playing Field

Baltimore County held its 16th annual Pumpkin Bowl on Wednesday to close out the allied sports soccer season.

Scores weren’t kept as soccer teams representing 11 Baltimore County high schools took to the field Wednesday evening at Hereford.

A final score wasn’t necessary as everyone involved left the field feeling like a winner. The teams were participants in the county's 16th annual Pumpkin Bowl. The round-robin "tournament" represented was the conclusion of the county’s allied sports soccer season.

For allied sports, teams are co-ed and have a mix of students with and without disabilities. Since 1994 the program has given students a chance to participate in interscholastic athletics.

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The schools that competed on Wednesday were Perry Hall, , , Milford Mill, Hereford, , Parkville, Chesapeake, Dulaney, Dundalk and Towson.

Students on allied sports teams get to practice daily, learn about competition and even earn a varsity letter in one of three sports offered under the program. Along with soccer in the fall, the county also offers tenpin bowling in the winter and softball in the spring.

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“These programs run the gamut,” said resource teacher Bradley Kressman, a longtime coach who coordinates the county’s allied sports program. “This allows students who might not have a chance to get physical exercise, have social interaction with other students and even get the chance to be recognized at their school’s pep rallies.”

During the Pumpkin Bowl, each team had the opportunity to play at least three 15-minute “mini-matches.” This was different from the regular season when teams played matches with four, 10-minute quarters. Scores in regular-season contests were kept with Dundalk winning the Eastern Division title and Hereford taking the Western Division crown.

“This event was all about teaching camaraderie and sportsmanship,” Kressman said about the Pumpkin Bowl. “It really instills confidence in so many of our student-athletes.”


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