Hersey coach honored for Special Olympics
Craig Ameel believes every student should have the opportunity to play sports and be part of a team — and he has dedicated his life to making sure that happens.
Ameel, who teaches special education at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, has coached Special Olympics for the past 27 years and was recently named as one of the four finalists for Special Olympics North American Coach of the Year.
Although Ameel coaches seven different sports, he said what he hopes to teach the athletes on and off the court is about more than just athletics.
“It’s the excitement of playing on a team, wearing the school colors, feeling successful,” Ameel said, adding that two values he drills into his athletes are teamwork and sportsmanship.
“Everyone is at their own level so getting better is all relative,” Ameel said of his approach to coaching. “You raise your expectations for everyone as an individual.”
That approach has translated into a successful team where every member gets to play and the athletes are excited to practice.
“It’s fun for us; it’s fun to be on a team. He supports our team and we always do a great job,” said Ella Stoklosa, 21 and a member of the team with Down syndrome.
Stoklosa, whose brother is an assistant coach with Ameel, recited the Special Olympics motto, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt,” which she said is something she keeps in mind at every practice.
“It’s an opportunity for them that wouldn’t happen without Special Olympics,” Ameel said. “I get to see a whole different side of them than in the classroom.”
For parents with a Special Olympian on Ameel’s teams, the influence he’s had is clear.
Karen Geraci, of Rolling Meadows, has an autistic son who plays for Ameel and said he has been friendlier, better able to have conversations with his family, and most importantly, more independent since starting with Special Olympics.
With her son never having spent a night away from home, Geraci was afraid to let him go on the overnight trips that are a part of competitions with Special Olympics. However, with Ameel leading the group she felt confident and said her son does just fine while away.
Ameel also organizes movie nights for the students, where parents drop them off and they have to pay for the tickets at the theater on their own, teaching them how to make transactions and shop without their parents around.
“If he wasn’t involved in Special Olympics, he would just be sitting at home all the time,” Geraci said.
Being a part of the team helps students make friends and gives them a chance to play and have fun together.
Teammates Cristina Cassata and Catie Nowak both said they love being able to hang out with friends at practice and that Ameel makes every part of playing sports fun.
Edmund Woodbury was so excited to get to practice on Wednesday night that he was dressed and ready to go an hour early, his mom Tori said.
“I think he knows he’s a little different,” Woodbury said of her son who is autistic. “But (Ameel) fosters an environment where they can be free to be themselves. He’s made a huge impact.”
Ameel said he was surprised to be recognized for what he does everyday — working to help his students, both in the classroom and on the court. But he also coached at the World Games in 1999 in North Carolina, 2007 in Shanghai and 2011 in Athens. And Ameel was the Illinois Head Track Coach for the National Games in 2006 in Iowa and 2010 in Nebraska.
While Ameel didn’t get the top national honor, he did make the final four from among 16 coaches from across the U.S. who were nominated. Ameel was selected for the breadth and duration of his service. He said he doesn’t know who nominated him.
“I was pretty shocked,” Ameel said of the honor. “It was very nice to be selected, especially since I know a lot of other good coaches.”
During a typical school year, Ameel coaches seven Special Olympic sports, including volleyball, floor hockey, basketball and cross-country skiing.
“It’s more than just a job for him. It’s a passion,” Geraci said.