UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Lady Lions will host their fourth annual basketball clinic for Special Olympics PA athletes, unified partners and coaches from Centre, Blair, Mifflin and Juniata counties on Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
The participants will be invited to watch the end of the Lady Lions’ practice and will then partake in a clinic, followed by a chance to have pizza and get autographs from the Lady Lions. The Special Olympics PA athletes, unified partners and coaches will participate in various drills and activities and coaches will have an opportunity to learn additional coaching techniques.
Special Olympics PA athletes and their families were invited to be a guest of Lady Lion head coach Coquese Washington’s for the Dec. 16 Penn State women’s basketball game against South Dakota State. The Centre County and Mifflin-Juniata County basketball teams played a halftime exhibition with Sue Paterno serving as the Master of Ceremonies for tipoff.
With the support of local companies, organizations, and individuals, the Centre County Special Olympics flourishes on gifts of time and money from volunteers and donors in the area. Several different events take place year-round including the Bowl-a-Thon in the fall, the Geri Ryan Track Meet and Beaver Stadium Run in the spring, and the Summer Games. There are also many practices, kick-off events, and picnics, and clinics, which allow the athletes to practice their sport and bond with their fellow teammates. Furthermore, our local athletes travel around the state to compete against other county programs. Special Olympics PA serves more than 20,000 athletes across the state.
The Lady Lions have a long history of community service and have won the "small squad" CHAMPS Cup in five of the last seven years. The CHAMPS Cup is awarded annually to the small squad (20 or fewer members) and large squad (20 or more members) that participate in the most community service hours.
The Lady Lions return home on Monday, Feb. 4 to face Purdue in a Big Monday battle on ESPN2. The Purdue game will be Centre County Women’s Resource Night and fans that bring an item off of the CCWRC’s needed items list will receive $5 off their ticket. Fans are also encouraged to wear blue to show their support of survivors and victims of child sexual abuse. Additionally, the first 2,000 fans will receive a Nikki Greene Wind-Up Walker, the third in the series. Go to www.GoPSUsports.com/promotions/wbb.html for complete promotions information.
Single game tickets for the Lady Lions are on sale. Tickets are $15 and $12 for adults and seniors and $9 and $7 for youth (12 and younger). The PNC Flex Books are available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions’ Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions’ Pink Zone game.
The 2013 Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 24 as the Lady Lions take on Michigan in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Lady Lions donated a record $203,000 to breast cancer causes. This year’s fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital and Lewistown Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.