Since the late 1960s, Special Olympics has given athletes of all capabilities a chance to experience inclusivity through the world of sports.

These athletes — who simply want to play — bring a tremendous amount of joy to the volunteers who run the program. It’s genuine fun for everyone involved.

Down in the Rockaways, a Special Olympics program with a training site at St. Camillus in Rockaway Park has provided an opportunity for all for three decades, and it’s been the tireless dedication of countless volunteers who have kept the athletes feeling like they’re the MVPs. There’s no doubt: These volunteers are unsung heroes.

The St. Camillus program was formed in 1996 under the direction of former parishioner Joe Featherston, who grew up in St. Teresa of Avila, Crown Heights, and St. Thomas Aquinas, Flatlands, and now attends St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor. At the time, Featherston was a physical education teacher and the girls’ track coach at Benjamin N. Cardozo H.S. in Bayside.

One day, Featherston walked into athletic director Bill Belfi’s office, and the phone rang. Belfi handed Featherston the phone, saying it was for him. On the other end was a representative from the Cross Island YMCA looking to find a track coach for some Special Olympics athletes looking to participate in an upcoming track meet at St. John’s University, Jamaica.

“That phone call absolutely changed my life,” said Featherston, who started a program in which his track runners volunteered to coach the Special Olympics athletes. “I had never heard of Special Olympics before that call.”

With the support of the pastor, the late Father James Dunn, and parochial vicar Father Bill Sweeney, a budding program was born. Featherston was also the founder and president of the Rockaway Gliders Track Club, so his fellow runners agreed to serve as volunteers.

“I have known Joe since 1988 when I reported to St. Camillus, and his whole life has been helping other people,” Father Sweeney said. “He began the program and hasn’t looked back. He’s an amazing person who brings Jesus’ love and concern to everyone he meets.”

Each week, the priests — including the late Msgr. Richard Ahlemeyer and current pastor Father James Rodriguez — set aside time in the gymnasium and schoolyard and provided some equipment from the parish’s Catholic Youth Organization program. From the Special Olympics organization, they received just six floor hockey sticks and three pucks, which, 30 years later, they continue to use to this day.

“We started back in 1996 with eight athletes and six volunteers, and now we’re up to 80 athletes and countless volunteers,” Featherston said.

Every Monday night from September through June, the St. Camillus gym and schoolyard are bustling with Special Olympics athletes taking part in any of the various activities offered, including NOK hockey, billiards, ping pong, pickleball, football, soccer, basketball, arts and crafts, dancing, kickball, wiffle ball, among others.

Over the years, the program has expanded further into the community. Two teams play a seven-game schedule each spring in the Challenger Division of the Rockaway Little League, and for the first time this summer, the annual St. Francis de Sales Summer Basketball Classic — a community staple — will welcome two teams to the field.

Additionally, each season at a St. John’s men’s basketball game, the athletes take the court during halftime, including once at Madison Square Garden. During the summers, the group takes a trip upstate to Windham Mountain.

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“It’s a phenomenal experience for the athletes to be able to meet friends, participate in sports, have a feeling of accomplishment, and enjoy being part of a team,” Featherston said. “It’s also a great experience for the volunteers, who make the Special Olympics athletes feel like they’re on an even level.”

The volunteers are the backbone of the program. Local parishes, grammar schools, and high schools send teams of volunteers throughout their seasons, and their experience is just as rewarding as the athletes themselves.

There have been hundreds of volunteers since the program’s inception, with a handful who have been contributing for 10-plus years — Ray Otton, Theresa Trainor, Patrick Trainor, Christine Parchment, Russell Hauk, Kerry Hynes, and Nick Compagnone. Through it all, parish custodian Joe Wiley has prepared the Springman Hall gymnasium for the program’s events.

The athletes’ parents are as much unsung heroes as the volunteers. “Those parents show all of us what a true Christian parent is really like,” Featherston said. “They sacrifice their entire lives to show love and support and to make sure their children get the opportunities to participate.”

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Catholicism is built on the value of inclusion, and there’s no better example than a sports program for athletes of all capabilities. The pure joy these athletes exude leaves everyone with a wide smile on their face at the end of the night.

The real purpose of sport is getting together to socialize while also enjoying some physical activity. For 30 years, the St. Camillus Special Olympics volunteers have created a welcoming environment for all athletes to flourish.

That’s what can be considered the true victory.