Imagine at a young age playing a team sport with your classmates. So young that the attention span may be short, but the relationship building gets you hooked. For many kids, it’s the first time they experience wins and losses and oftentimes that’s exactly what sparks a lifelong love for sports. Aspen DeField began playing soccer at age five, but by the time she was 10 years old, she had found a sport she would be with throughout the rest of her childhood. Like anything a kid chooses to be part of, there was much more she learned than just how to play soccer. Lessons like how to win and lose with grace, resiliency and the power of teamwork and support.
But above all, she says it was “just fun and we really loved each other.”
She got to experience the same in college with teammates she still considers some of her best friends. She’d soon see just how much power sports must bring people together as an undergraduate at New Mexico State University. During a Sports Psychology class, her professor had each student gain knowledge across a variety of sports settings, including Special Olympics. “I knew from my first day [as a volunteer] that I wanted to have Special Olympics in my life and continued to volunteer for multiple years in multiple states,” DeField says about her start with inclusion. She officially became a coach in 2007 after moving to Colorado for a Recreation Therapy internship.
Coaching Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners in 14 different sports, DeField has been to three Special Olympics World Games, including 2017 in Austria, 2019 in Abu Dhabi and 2023 in Germany. She’s also been to the 2022 USA Games in Orlando. She will be the snowshoeing head coach for Special Olympics USA at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin.
“I have participated in the Special Olympics World Games as a coach in 2017 and 2019, as a Sport Manager for the canceled Russia games and Sport Manager for Berlin 2023,” DeField says. “I have also been selected as a Sport Manager for the upcoming Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin. I firmly believe that the more engaged and informed I am, the more the athletes I support will benefit.”
“Aspen has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, commitment, and a profound impact on both athletes and the community,” Denise Hulstrom, Volunteer and Coach Development Manager for Special Olympics Colorado, says.
What truly distinguishes Aspen is the depth of the relationships she forges with athletes, partners, fellow coaches, and Special Olympics staff members. Her mentorship extends beyond the sports arena, exemplifying intrinsic leadership qualities and positively influencing those she guides. The individuals under Aspen's tutelage not only excel in their sports but also develop invaluable life skills that set them apart,” Hulstrom continues.
Aspen's commitment to her teams is unparalleled. She consistently goes above and beyond expectations, being the first to arrive at events and the last to leave. Her unwavering support, coupled with a focus on inclusivity, creates an encouraging environment that fosters success.”
DeField was a 2019 Special Olympics Colorado Hall of Fame inductee, but, as always, her focus remains on the achievements of those she coaches.
“I love the opportunities, advocacy, support, and magic of Special Olympics,” she says. “I've seen athletes blossom in everything from newly found abilities and accomplishments at practice, to world travels and public self-advocacy. Special Olympics opens up all parts of the world for people with intellectual disabilities and provides safe and supported ways to experience it.”
While she coaches almost every sport Special Olympics Colorado offers, she knows where her heart lies, saying during a part of her interview, “It's not fair to compare anything with my lifelong love for soccer,” as she knows it’s one of her favorite things with snowshoeing a close second.
This love for coaching, and decades-long commitment earned DeField recognition amongst her peers as the SONA Outstanding Coach-Community award recipient, an honor that continues to awe her.
“I have so much respect for the other professionals I get to work with in Special Olympics, and for the athletes who work so hard to be fierce competitors,” DeField says. “The best part of this recognition is knowing that someone I've worked closely with reciprocates that respect and appreciation. I am surrounded by the most fantastic colleagues, coaches and volunteers, and am often amazed at how well they do their jobs. This recognition drives me to work harder just to feel deserving around them! We all make each other better.”
DeField knows that her work is making a difference, and she loves the overall direction of the movement. “I love the direction Special Olympics is going to get involved with younger athletes and create truly inclusive environments,” she says.
DeField’s heart found soccer at a young age, and she developed that deep connection into something more: advancing inclusion through sport with Special Olympics. Whether it was intentional or not, for her Special Olympics is a way to still be involved with sports even after competitive sports may have ended for her, encouraging the next generation of sports enthusiasts.
