Sevier County CDC Field Days return to Rocky Top Sports World
Published August 25, 2023

GATLINBURG, TN – Sevier County School System’s Comprehensive Development Classes (CDC) Field Days returned to Rocky Top Sports World recently after taking a 3-year hiatus due to COVID-19 precautions. The event is a day of competition and fun for kids who are in the County’s Special Education program.

“These kids work extra hard throughout the year and most of them have had to take various levels of testing,” said Rodney Case, Special Education Supervisor. “The goal of CDC Field Days is to have them participate in fun activities and interact with their peers and the local community.”

The collaboration with Rocky Top Sports World started in 2019. Sandy Enloe, Director of the Special Education Department at that time, was a driving force behind putting the idea into action. She partnered with Andrew Capps, Director of Business Development for Rocky Top Sports World to make it happen.

“We really wanted to help that department out and we had the experience from hosting Special Olympics Tennessee,” Capps said. “Sandy wanted the event to be more than just playing so we turned it into completing a challenge and it’s something the kids can receive a certificate for and be proud of.”

The first year was successful and when COVID-19 hit, the event was eventually canceled in 2020. Since some of the special needs kids are more susceptible to health issues, the decision was made to not hold CDC Field Days for the following two years. The green light was finally given to resurrect the program this year.

“We’re so excited to be doing this again,” Case said. “Seeing the kids have fun and meet new people and seeing how they light up when they see old friends and teachers is what it’s all about. It’s nice to see those relationships renewed.”

This year, 17 schools were eligible to send their special needs students from around the county. The kids were divided into primary, intermediate, junior high, and high school groups. There were 150 kids that competed in events such as soccer, kickball, and basketball and worked on many skills, such as coordination and teamwork. In the future, the CDC Field Days event hopes to partner with local police and fire departments as well, in an effort to get more of the community involved.

“We’d also love to integrate non-special needs kids into this event and have them come play with them, because these kids can be such a joy,” Case said.

Next year’s CDC Field Days event will be held in May of 2024 at Rocky Top Sports World.

For more information about Sevier County School System’s Special Education program, please visit www.sevier.org.

Rocky Top Sports World is an 80-acre sports complex located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains offering seven outdoor fields and an 86,000-square-foot indoor venue equipped with six basketball courts. Rocky Top Sports World is part of the SFNetwork and managed by Sports Facilities Companies. For more information, please visit rockytopsportsworld.com.