Pine Island Junior Olympics — the making of an island institution
Mike Shevlin recalls having become a member of the Kiwanis Club around 1981. At the time, he said Rich Crotty, who was with the county Department of Parks and Recreation, worked with Shevlin and the youth. Together, Crotty and Shevlin decided it might be a good idea to have some kind of an athletic event for the kids.
“At the time there was also a middle school here,” said Shevlin. “We said, let’s do a little Olympics for them, and it went from kindergarten to eighth grade.”
The Junior Olympics began at the Kiwanis Club, Shevlin said, with the same events they still do today: a softball throw, a Frisbee throw, a long-jump and a quarter-mile run. They decided right away that trophies for the first place boy and girl would be awarded in each grade, that they would get T-shirts, and a local bank (now SunTrust) would provide the second and third place winners with silver dollars. Shevlin explained that they also thought it would be a good idea to give out first, second and third place ribbons for each athletic event and the kids who didn’t place were offered a green ribbon for participating.
“It’s been the same way from day one to today,” said Shevlin.
He noted that the only difference, besides no longer having a middle school on Pine Island, is that the Junior Olympics were done in December until just a few years ago, when they were moved into January. The original reason for the January move was due to rain, but Shevlin said, after the numbers had been dwindling, because they lost their middle-schoolers, the move into January seemed to increase the number of participants, making it as popular as it ever was.
For the past few years, the event has been set for the second week in January, to give kids a chance to get their paperwork in after the holiday break. Shevlin said next year, however, it’s likely to be the third week, in order to allow people to take advantage of an upcoming three-day weekend before the Junior Olympics.
“It’s turned out really well and our sponsors have been great,” said Shevlin, naming them. “Waggoner and Bruehl, Stearns Custom Builders, and Team Shevlin. Those three have been doing it continuously, and then we have the girls at SunTrust, who put in their own money so that we can get our 26 silver dollars every year. Winn-Dixie always supplies food, and they’re dynamite with that, and, of course, Kiwanis and the Parks and Recreation as well.”
Speaking on this year’s event, Shevlin commented that it was a beautiful day, and in thinking over the past 37 years, he noted that the reason people likely love the Pine Island Junior Olympics is that it’s become as meaningful to the island as Little League. He said the greatest moment for him often comes at the end of the event when watching the pure exhaustion of the kids who’ve worked so hard to compete and win. Over the years, Shevlin said he’s been in homes where he’s seen evidence of past Junior Olympics events donning the walls. With that, comes the realization that this tradition has become an island institution both anticipated and beheld.
“Many of them are so intense, and some of them could care less,” Shevlin said, of the participants, laughing. “It’s just different personalities. It’s a lot of fun and you can see who’s who by these little events. Many of the parents will jump out to help if needed, and the older Kiwanians will do whatever they need to do. It’s so much fun to do this event and when you leave you feel like you really did something.”
In considering the idea of drawing people from the mainland to this event, Shevlin said that, of course, no one would ever be turned down the chance to participate in the Junior Olympics, but adds, that it is an island community event, with anywhere from 80-100 kids already participating. He hopes that the coming years will bring the same level of excitement and participation as the last 37 have and would like to see more of the same kind of event out here.
“This has been a thing that we’ve done for a number of years now, and it’s still fun,” said Shevlin.