Football practice never seemed so fun for the Wyoming Cavalry - or for 50 Special Olympians - as it did Wednesday when the teams got together for a clinic.

"It's just great," Cavalry Defensive Lineman Tyrone Saterfield said, waiting for another player to make a touchdown. "We put smiles on their faces and they put them right back on ours. It's fun for both of us."

His enthusiasm may have been why two Special Olympics athletes, Bonnie Hatfield and Clark Davis, both listed Saterfield's training station as their favorite of several.

Holding her Cavalry t-shirt in her hands and carrying a free ticket to tonight's game in her pocket, Hatfield said she was excited to learn anything and everything.

"I just like to learn new things, you know?" she said. "As long as you are learning that's all that matters."

A Casper resident and longtime Special Olympian, Hatfield said she roped a bull with the College National Finals Rodeo last week and plans on going golfing for her next event.

This was the second-annual training event with the Cavs and was even more successful than the first, Special Olympics President Priscilla Dowse said. As long as the Cavalry is willing, she said she hopes it will continue.

"Last year was so successful as far as our athletes feeling valued and (the Cavs) being able to interact with their fan base," she said, laughing. "It's a nice alternative to practice and they can share their skills and interact personally."

Each of the Special Olympics athletes rotated around various stations learning essential football skills from how to run a ball to how to do a touchdown dance.

Cavalry General Manager Mike Layton said he proposed the idea to help supplement the team's Special Olympics golf fundraiser.

"I think it is important to partner with the community," Layton said. "We want to embrace the community and we want them to embrace us."

Through programs and partnerships such as this Layton said he hopes Casper residents will realize the Cavalry is here to stay.

"We are a viable business and a viable asset," he said.

Amid cheering, shouting and instructing, head coach Dan Maciejczak reiterated Layton's sentiments. He said a football team is not a necessity for the town, creating a greater need for positive community interactions.

"We are entertainment," he said, "and so in return we give the people who come out to watch us a chance to come onto the field and participate and learn from the people they are watching."