The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and bouncing balls are ricocheting off the baskets in Great Neck North Middle's gym on Friday nights, from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. This can only mean that spring is here and the Special Olympics has started up again.

After a short winter hiatus our all-star team of athletes has rested up and come back playing harder than ever! Leading the pack is the amazing group of coaches: Shelley Greenbaum, Jordana Cohen, Chris Brown, Diane Polland, and Eric Goldstein, our head coach, Ed Fernbach, and our director, Alan Someck. The group has also assembled a very enthusiastic bunch of volunteers, so the future of the Great Neck Spirits is looking very, very bright!

The 2005 spring season has started off on a very good foot. Some of the athletes will be competing at Fordham University on April 16. They will also be holding another bowling session like last season, so keep checking for the details if you're interested. And last, but certainly not least, the Special Olympics main event will be on Sunday, June 5, so go mark your calendars now!