MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Admirals defenseman Spencer Stastney has been named the official OUR TEAM Player Ambassador for Special Olympics Wisconsin this season, both organizations announced.
“It is truly an honor for me to partner with Special Olympics Wisconsin,” Stastney said. “Sports is an integral part of my life and seeing an amazing organization like SOWI and the opportunities that they provide to these athletes is remarkable. I am lucky to be able to play a role in this process and look forward to continuing their mission.”
“Spencer has been a great addition to the Admirals roster this season both on and off the ice,” Admirals President & Special Olympics Wisconsin Board Member Jon Greenberg said. “His enthusiasm to be involved with the athletes at Special Olympics Wisconsin will make him a great ambassador for the Admirals in the OUR TEAM program.”
Stastney’s appointment as Player Ambassador is a component of OUR TEAM, a first-of-its-kind initiative celebrating inclusion across sport. OUR TEAM is designed to showcase the programming Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) currently makes available to statewide athletes with intellectual disabilities and, through awareness and fundraising efforts associated with the new initiative, celebrate athletes of all abilities in all sports in communities across Wisconsin.
“OUR TEAM is such an important initiative for our Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes,” SOWI President & CEO Chad Hershner said. “Partnerships with our professional sports organizations not only uphold a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also truly celebrate opportunity, competition, and community for all.
“We are thrilled to welcome Spencer to the OUR TEAM and SOWI families!”
OUR TEAM Ambassadors celebrate sports in Wisconsin by bringing meaning to athletes’ accomplishments and achievements regardless of ability; inspire sports fans to be fans of inclusion; make athlete-to-athlete connection for authentic, meaningful experiences with SOWI athletes; and reach underserved populations to provide opportunity for all to experience inclusion through SOWI. Ambassador activations may include email appeals to multiple audiences, targeted social media messaging, and various public appearances at SOWI and Admirals events.
Playing in his first pro season, Stastney has collected 13 points in 56 games so far this year with the Admirals, his hometown team. The Mequon, Wis., native was a fifth round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2018 and wrapped up a four-year collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame in 2021-22 where he finished tied for second on the team in scoring and served as an alternate captain.
View Stastney’s OUR TEAM Ambassador welcome video below.
[pkInsertVideo link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDCI6YGtLk” ]