Among the hundreds of students within the Berlin district, about 21% have disabilities as stated on the school profile. Though those disabilities may appear to hinder opportunities, athletics are far from limited. Special Olympics allows these athletes, and adults around the county, to achieve any sports-related goals.
“When working with my athletes, my main goal is to help them grow both on and off the playing field. I want them to build confidence, develop new skills, and experience the joy of being part of a team. Most importantly, I hope to create an environment where they feel supported, valued, and celebrated for who they are,” Special Olympics Coach Toby Trochinski said.
The teams, which consist of dozens of athletes from around Green Lake County, cover a wide variety of sports.
“The sports we currently offer include basketball, softball, cornhole, golf, bocce, bowling, swimming, and powerlifting. Each sport has its own season, and athletes can choose to participate in one or multiple sports throughout the year. Our program provides year‑round sports training and competition opportunities for athletes of all ability levels. The season structure varies by sport, but in general, most of our sports run for about eight to ten weeks. Practices are typically held once or twice a week, depending on the sport and the competition schedule,” Toby said. “Competitions range from local events to regional and state-level tournaments, giving athletes plenty of opportunities to showcase their hard work.”
Volunteers can begin working with the team and set-up at age 14, and this opportunity was utilized by Toby’s daughter, Makayla Trochinski. Special Olympics allows for students and community members to experience working in leadership roles.
“I like being able to connect with all of the athletes in a personal way,” Makayla said. “It’s kind of like having life-long friends.”
On Sunday, March 1, one of the two basketball teams made it on to the state meet, which will be held April 18.
“I was overjoyed when we made it to state. It’s something that they worked hard for and earned. I cannot be happier to take these athletes to state,” Makayla said. “I am an assistant coach for our basketball team right now, and I also do regular volunteer work outside of the basketball season.”
Toby’s son, sophomore Tyler Trochinski, is the team’s youngest member, and has been participating since he started high school.
“I’m actually enjoying it. I like how much fun we’re all having. We’re doing sports, and I like that all the other people are people with disabilities,” Tyler said. “I participate in softball, bowling and basketball.”
Toby recently led a STEAM class to introduce students from the special-education department to the program.
“In our fourth hour STEAM class, we were really focusing on the Olympics. I was thinking it would be a really great experience for students to get to meet real Olympic athletes from our community,” adaptive STEAM teacher Sarah Gumtow said. “I was impressed by the way our students listened during the presentation, asked questions, and participated. I was also impressed with the members of Special Olympics who came in and did the presentation. It was just such a great opportunity for both parties.”
Many students in the Special Education Department found the presentation to be useful, and Toby himself said the entire experience was enjoyable.
“My experience at Berlin High School was fantastic. The students and staff were very welcoming, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to share what Special Olympics is all about. I presented on the structure of the program, the mission of Special Olympics, and the opportunities available for students to get involved,” Toby said.
