The Conroy Blue Jays of Special Olympics Pennsylvania recently competed at the 2025 Music City Blitz Invitational at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The Music City Blitz Invitational, presented by Nissan, and in partnership with the Tennessee Titans and NFL Play 60, is a Special Olympics flag football tournament where Special Olympic athletes and Unified Partners come together to compete on a National Football League (NFL) football field. Flying in from Pittsburgh, the Blue Jays brought their competitive energy and passion to the Special Olympics stage.
With it being Conroy's first year conducting a flag football program, head coach Eric Spielman was excited to see the sport transform from just running routes in gym class.
“It was my goal to harvest opportunities that came up around us,” Spielman stated. “I always say yes, we’ll make it happen.”
Spielman has led the Special Olympics program at Conroy for six years.
“We had 11 guys that wanted to play from all over the district,” Spielman said. “It was a little harder than we were anticipating, but it started to pick up and they really took to it.”
After winning multiple regional and state championships, the Blue Jays were more than ready to head to Nashville for the Music City Invitational. Spielman said he was not only proud of the athletes’ performance on the field, but also the way they conducted themselves in hotels and at restaurants.
For many of the Conroy Blue Jays, it was their first time flying, visiting a new city and ordering at a restaurant.
“It was a pretty incredible and surreal experience, knowing I can trust these athletes and they can trust us, the way they embraced the moment running out of the tunnel, you would've thought they were an NFL team,” said Spielman.
The Blue Jays worked their way to the top of the tournament, earning a bronze medal after experiencing their first loss as a team.
Team captain and quarterback John Oaks, 19, played a key leadership role and helped the Blue Jays go further than they ever thought they could. Oaks has been a Special Olympics athlete for over six years and competes in multiple sports. He is one of six individuals in the nation chosen as a Dick’s Sporting Goods GameChanger Ambassador.
“He has just been an amazing captain,” Spielman said. “He makes sure these guys are ready and takes them under his wing. Things get through to them better from a peer, and John makes sure they understand how we do things and has stood up and been incredibly responsible for the growth of this team.”
Oaks takes his leadership role seriously.
“It means a lot to me getting to help other kids,” Oaks said. “I just speak from the heart, I just have to remind them that we are here for a reason, doing it for our friends and families.”
He added, “It feels good to be on the team. Whenever I feel down, I have people around me to pick me back up, and I do the same for them.”
Despite their first loss at the Music City Blitz Invitational, the Blue Jays’ mindset and gratitude for their experience remained strong.
“The biggest thing about champions is falling down and being able to get back up,” Oaks said. “We learned that we can’t win them all, but we had to pick ourselves up and play our next game.”
Coach Spielman also spoke about the lessons learned from the loss.
“We didn’t know how they were going to respond, but they soon understood it was part of the game and came to grips with not coming out on top,” Spielman said. “It wasn’t the end-all be-all for this team.”
With increasing opportunities ahead for John Oaks and the Conroy Blue Jays flag football team, they hope to put their name on the map and return to conquer the Music City Blitz Invitational again. Despite it being the first year of Conroy’s flag football program, a measurable impact was left on the lives of these young athletes.
“You can see the difference,” Spielman said. “They walk around with their heads held high, shaking hands and talking to others, the confidence just wasn’t there before but is very visible now.”
“They’ve changed now that they know what they're capable of,” he added. “People love Conroy because of the kids we have, their hearts are incredible, and they are friendly and humble kids.”
The Music City Blitz Invitational was a thrilling day, filled with intense competition and camaraderie, that empowered Special Olympics athletes to compete at their best and showcase their talents.
“If there's a goal or an opportunity, seize it,” Oaks said. “Don’t be afraid to show off your skills and talents in front of everybody.”
“This was an incredible event to bring our team to,” Spielman said. "Special Olympics is one of the greatest organizations to be a part of. I want to encourage our athletes to be a part of this program and compete for the rest of their lives.”
Special Olympics Tennessee is proud to have hosted The Music City Blitz Invitational to empower athletes and showcase their dedication, teamwork, athleticism and loyalty.
Special Olympics is one of the greatest organizations to be a part of. I want to encourage our athletes to be a part of this program and compete for the rest of their lives.
