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Former Spartan Meenachan volunteered at Special Olympics
Boardman’s Meenachan volunteered
at Special Olympics
By Greg Gulas
During her formative years, Boardman’s Brooke Meenachan often dreamt of the day when she would be a roving sideline reporter.
A caring individual, the Boardman High School graduate also had a special place in her heart for those that are developmentally challenged. She learned first-hand the compassion and care needed from her father, Brian, who works with that special group at the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
During the recent Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, Meenachan was able to live out both dreams.
“The opening ceremonies were held in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,” Meenachan said of the site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. With more than 80,000 spectators, she said it was “an absolute blast.
“It was an incredible place to be,” Meenachan said.
The competition drew more than 6,500 athletes and 2,000 coaches representing 165 countries. Along with 30,000 volunteers, more than 500,000 spectators took in the 25 Olympic-style events throughout the Los Angeles region.
Like many volunteers, Meenachan, a former Spartans basketball and softball player, was not aligned with softball, her original choice, but soon found her way to the diamond competition when two volunteers failed to show for their event.
“I was originally scheduled to serve as an associate announcer for the tennis competition, but the organizing committee also knew that softball was my first choice,” Meenachan said. “So when two announcers didn’t show up for their duties, they came to me with my new assignment.”
She was paired with Ross Porter, a veteran Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster.
“The first day I got to announce the players coming to the plate, who was playing next, made several game announcements and was basically a public address announcer, not a commentator,” Meenachan said.
“When I was told that Ross Porter was going to serve as announcer for the remainder of the games, it’s not what I wanted to hear yet turned out to be a real honor,” she said. “I was able to work alongside and learn quite a bit from someone who has been in the business for many years.
She said she spoke with Porter about his career and the path that led him to the Dodgers.
“I [now] realize how fortunate I was to have been paired with,” she said.
Meenachan ran the scoreboard and assisted with other areas of the game-day broadcast.
“The main reason I was there was for the athletes and every single one of them to me is a success story,” Meenachan said. “They are incredibly gifted individuals.
“This was an experience that I will cherish forever for the people that I met, the things that I got to see and the Special Olympics overall will forever hold a special place in my heart,” she said.