Team Adams May Update
May 2026
Summer Sports Offered by Team Adams:
- *Golf (South Hills Golf Club, Mondays, 5:15pm)
- *Softball (Oakside Community Park, Thursdays, 5:30pm)
- Pickleball (South Hanover YMCA, Tuesdays, 6:30pm)
- Kayaking (Codorus State Park Sailboat Launch, Saturdays, 9:00am)
*Please Note: GOLF and SOFTBALL are the first sports to be required to follow the new SOPA guidelines for competitions this year. This means that any athlete who wishes to attend competitions for either of these two sports will be required to attend practice twice a week for that sport. Athletes who would like to participate in either of these two sports but do not want to attend competitions will only practice one day per week for that sport. If you have questions about this, please contact your head coach.
If you'd like to PLAY or VOLUNTEER with any of our Summer Sports listed above, you MUST SIGN UP during the sign-up window of April 15 - May 15. If you have not signed up yet, use this link to find the sport you want and be sure the location lists "Adams County" if you want to play with Team Adams. (You may play for other local programs as long as you are willing to drive to that location.) Then click "Details and Sign Up" and then click "Sign Up". Coach Dorothy has indicated that she could still use some more volunteers for pickleball. No pickleball experience or knowledge is needed!
The SOPA website lists the general dates for each season rather than the actual dates that each sport practices for each local program. Please refer to our Team Adams 2026 Training Schedule for exact dates for our sports! Coaches should also be reaching out to everyone on the roster prior to the season beginning, to provide a practice schedule as well as other important information.
Payton McInturff
Those who know Payton McInturff can easily spot him on the baskeball court or bowling lane by looking for his tall stature and curly head of hair. But there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this inspring Team Adams athlete. He pops into zoom meetings to say "Hi" and ask how everyone is doing. He shows up to practice with a positive attitude, contagious smile, and the willingness to give his best effort. He is a positive influence on other athletes, our volunteers, and the broader community.
Both of Payton's parents, Trace and Gina, have worked for many years at A2LA , which is an accreditation company based out of Frederick, Md. Payton's positivity has crossed state boundaries to make a lasting impression on the employees at A2LA. In 2023, the company honored Payton by dedicating a conference room to him and naming it "Payton's Place". Now everyone wants their meeting to be held in that room. Payton's dad sums it up well by saying, "When Payton is in the office, things are just better. There is always an uptick in energy and happiness which reminds us all that there is still humanity in the world." Payton has even been dubbed the "A2LA Director of Happiness". Don't we all deserve a Director of Happiness in our lives?
Gettysburg College
Thank you to Gettysburg College for their continued support of our program. For many years, Gettysburg College has allowed us to use Plank Gym for several of our sports teams. They also allow us to use the Jaeger Athletic Center and Bullet Hole each year for our annual Basketball Invitational. Finding practice facilities for 13 sports can be quite challenging, so we are extremely appreciative of Gettysburg College's wilingness to give us use of their gyms. Pictured accepting a plaque on behalf of Gettysburg College are Lynn McManness-Harlan and Jennifer Coale with Bobbie & Dennis Murphy.
A2LA
Thank you to A2LA for their continued support of our annual Golf Challenge fundraiser. Last year, A2LA was a Gold Sponsor for our tournament and donated all the bags for our golfer gifts. This year, A2LA stepped up to become our first ever Presenting Sponsor for our Golf Challenge, which means they contributed $3,000 to our organization! A2LA is an accreditation company based out of Frederick, Md. Athlete Payton McInturff's parents, Trace and Gina, have been long time employees of A2LA as well as wonderful volunteers for Team Adams. Pictured accepting the plaque on behalf of A2LA is Jim Powell, A2LA Executive Director of Organizational Excellence, and his daughter, Jaedyn.
Grace Myers Award for Excellence
The Grace Myers Award was established a couple of years ago to honor volunteers for their outstanding volunteer service to Team Adams in a variety of roles over many years. This year, we recognized the dynamic duo of Bobbie and Dennis Murphy as the recipients of this prestigous award. Bobbie's commitment to our basketball program spans decades. In addition, she has served as Head of Delegation (HOD) for competitions and as our Local Competition Co-Coordinator for several years. Dennis has been instrumental in organizing our annual Golf Challenge for several years. He has dedicated countless hours each year to plan and run this huge fundraiser event. This year it has taken an entire committee of several people to fill his shoes! Dennis also serves as our Local Competition Co-Coordinator with Bobbie. In addition, this dynamic duo has been running our annual Basketball Invitational for many years. They are truly the gold star of volunteers and we are so lucky to have them in our organization! Grace Myers, for whom the award was named, is pictured between Bobbie and Dennis.
SWIMMING
🥇 = 9
🥈 = 8
🥉 = 3
TENNIS
🥇 = 6
🥈 = 2
BASKETBALL
🥇 = 3
🥈 = 2
🥉 = 3
4th = 1
Thank you, Gettysburg Walmart!
We are the lucky recipients of a $1,000 grant from the Gettysburg Walmart! Thank you to volunteer Ethia Miller, who works at Walmart, for letting us know about this wonderful opportunity. Our athletes and volunteers were invited to attend the Grand ReOpening celebration at the Gettysburg Walmart recently after the store completed some major renovations.
Many athletes have Health Histories that are set to expire in May, June, or July. Keep an eye on your email. You will receive an email 60 days prior to your expiration date, telling you that it's time to RENEW! You should get another email reminder 30 days prior to your expiration date.
Renewing your Health History basically involves logging into your online portal, going to your checklist, clicking on RENEW, reviewing your health information, making any needed updates, and electronically signing the form. You may need to answer some follow-up health condition questions or take a special form to your doctor, but that depends on your health conditions and the severity of them. You will receive an email if you need to do those extra things.
If you need any assistance with your renewal, email our Regional Administative Manager, Jill Stoner, at jstoner@specialolympicspa.org. If you allow your Health History to expire, you will not be permitted to participate!
Our annual Golf Challenge will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at The Bridges Golf Club. We are pleased to announce that all of our slots for foursomes are now filled and registrations are closed.
- If you have questions, please contact Dorothy Bollinger at dorothy.bollinger.soac@gmail.com.
- If you'd like to buy any 50/50 tickets, please contact Terry Stickles at tstickles.teamadams@gmail.com. We would love to sell more to maximize the payout!
Put on your walking shoes for the Highmark Walk! The Capital Area Region is registered with the Highmark Walk for May 16th at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC). This means that if you sign up for the Walk and select Capital Area Region Special Olympics as the charity that you want to walk for … our region gets 100% of the money! You can participate in either the 5K or the 1 Mile Fun Walk. Please share with your family, friends, and coworkers! To sign up, scan the QR code at the left or follow this LINK.
Sadly, athlete Susan Hemler passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on April 17, 2026. Susan participated in bowling, bocce, roller skating, athletics, and swimming over the years. What we wouldn’t give for one more Susan hug! Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. Here is the link to her obituary.