Sports

Watchung Hills Student Alex Scheck Wins Spot on

By Eleanor Mathews

In what is a “first” for Watchung Hills Regional High School, and, indeed, for New Jersey, a local student, Alex Scheck, has won a position on Team New Jersey for soccer in the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games.

            The 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, to be held June 14-21, will involve 3,500 athletes from all over the United States, 1,000 coaches and Delegates, 10,000 volunteers, and some 70,000 spectators and families.  

Participants will vie in aquatics, baseball, bocce, bowling, cycling, flag football, golf gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.  In addition, there will be demonstrations in baseball and triathlon. Team New Jersey will include 280 athletes, and will have representatives in every sport.

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Alex Scheck has not only been appointed to the soccer team (in the position of forward), but has also been selected to be a team representative for media interviews, a task which should not be difficult for this enthusiastic and knowledgeable athlete. Scheck has been involved in the  game since age 10, when he joined the New Providence soccer team outside of school. He now plays with the New Jersey Hawks, who hone their skills in Clark, N.J. and the Mercer County Park.

            In addition to playing in forward and goalie positions himself, Scheck also serves as manager for Watchung Hills Boys Soccer Team and as Manager of Girls Basketball, in both of which positions he is serving for the fifth year.

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Over the years, Scheck has been active in track and field, basketball, swimming, bowling.    

Greg Leonow, his coach/trainer, said of Scheck: “He’s one of the most competitive, enthusiastic people I’ve met. It’s a joy to watch him.”

  With fellow Olympians, Scheck will take part in the Opening Ceremonies for the national sports event on June 15 at the Prudential Center, Newark, where the traditionally impressive Parade of Athletes will take place, as well as the lighting of the Special Olympics Cauldron which opens the games.

The Closing Ceremonies will be held on    June 20 at the Sun Bank Arena, Trenton, a celebration and culmination of the 2014 Games. In the intervening days, competition will take place at various venues, such as Rider College, Princeton University, Mercer County Park. Athletes will be housed at the various local universities in the area.

Before the big event, however, the public will get a preview of Team New Jersey. Along with the other athletes in a variety of sports, Scheck will be introduced during the Rutgers football game at noon on Saturday, November 2.

All those years of practice, all those competitions, all the team coaching Scheck has done have now culminated in the biggest challenge of all: the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games. 

 

 

Alex Scheck Named to Soccer Team in Upcoming Special Olympics USA

(Photo by Eleanor Mathews)

Alex Scheck, shown with his coach, Greg Leonow, has been named a member of the soccer team in the upcoming Special Olympics USA, to be held in June, 2014. The Watchung Hills Regional High School student also acts as managers of Hills’ boys soccer and the girls’ basketball teams.

 


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