(Top) Athletes on the Cheer Team dress up as Care Bears for Spooktacular. (Bottom) Athletes on the Women’s Track and Field Team pass out candy to kids at Spooktacular.
On Thursday, Oct. 24, student-athletes and their departments gathered in the Fuhrer Field House to host the Spooktacular community event. This family-friendly celebration ran from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and brought together students, staff and community together into this evening of athletic events and Halloween-themed fun.
Several sports teams sponsored interactive stations during the event, giving local kids a firsthand look at a variety of disciplines. This annual tradition drew hundreds of local families while their parents appreciated the safe, engaging environment where their children could explore different sports while enjoying the Halloween spirit.
Throughout the evening, children moved from station to station, collecting candy and treats while learning all about the different sports presented at Doane. Sports such as soccer, set up a mini-goal shooting challenge, the golf team, taught proper swinging technique, the basketball team, had a shooting contest with the children, the tennis team, played mini-tennis with every contestant, the baseball team, helped kids learn how to swing, volleyball team, worked on passes, bumping and setting with orange and black volleyballs, track, cross-country team, organized haunted running relays and the dance team competed in a sack-jumping contest.
Young players had a rare opportunity to learn from collegiate athletes, and experience the different areas in which they were most favored; some kids even came back for more, clearly more engaged in playing the sport rather than the treats and candy. The kids’ costumes were an important part of the event as well since most of them would dazzle in their creativity and their parents’ combination.
While concluding the evening, both the student-athletes and young participants were left with fond memories and new connections. The success of this year’s Spooktacular event demonstrates the strong bonds between the athletic department and the local community while providing a fun and educational experience for the area of youth.
