Badger Region Unified Special Olympics Team Earns Third Consecutive National Title

The Wisconsin Bad Pack, a Badger Region Unified Special Olympics Team, posted an incredible 6-0 record and earned their third consecutive national title at the 2013 USA Volleyball Open National Championships in Louisville, Ky. May 25-26. As the Bad Pack continues to turn heads at the national level, we want to take a minute to educate our membership on this incredible team and program.

The Bad Pack has been around for over a decade. The team's coordinator and opposite hitter, David Bigelow, has been with the program since it's inception in 2000.

"I got started with the program because Milwaukee was hosting the 2001 event," Bigelow said. "We put a team together to play in Columbus in 2000 to see what it was all about and what it required. We loved it and in 2001, when Milwaukee hosted, we won."

The team's success has become something of a tradition over the last decade, and it is largely due to the dedication of the members.

"Our players come from all over," Bigelow said. "We practice from January through Opens each year to prepare."

Each Unified Special Olympic team is comprised of male and female athletes and partners. Athletes are players that have an intellectual disability and are eligible to compete in Special Olympic events. Partners are players without intellectual disabilities.

When the team lines up on the court, they alternate partners and athletes. The game is played almost exactly the same as traditional volleyball, with one major rule difference.

"The only big difference is that each player can serve at most three times in a row," Meg Scullin, Bad Pack partner said. "If the player's team wins all three points, that side rotates and a new player serves. This keeps one server from dominating a match."

The Bad Pack manages to dominate matches regardless of the serving rule.

The Bad Pack tallied a perfect 6-0 record at nationals this year. They first faced the Kay Center Tigers and earned a two-set victory. Next, Bad Pack faced the Henry County Gladiators, whom they also defeated in straight sets. Their next two matches on Friday were more of the same, and the Bad Pack closed pool with a pair of two-set wins over the Allen Spikers and Chattanooga Chill.

Bad Pack faced the Allen Spikers again in their semifinal match on Saturday, defeating them in straight sets.

The championship match featured the Bad Pack and Henry County Gladiators. In their only three-set match of the tournament, the Bad Pack earned their third consecutive gold medal at nationals.

"It is an incredible experience being a part of this program," Scullin said. "I have been with them since 2005, and every year we have a blast watching the athletes excel on and off the court."