For those of you who don’t know, unified basketball is a co-ed sport that has athletes (students with developmental disabilities) and partners (students without disabilities) competing together in what has become the fastest growing sport in the state.
The program was started four years ago in Maine and has grown from 17 teams in the beginning to more than 50 teams this season.
I fell in love with the idea the moment I got to watch a unified game in Kennebunk a few years ago — and year after year my fondness for the program has grown.
When I was working in Geneva, New York last year, I once again got to cover unified hoops and watched as a varsity boys basketball player, who was one of the best in the Finger Lakes region, used his free time to be a volunteer assistant coach of his school’s unified team.
The unified players absolutely loved working with someone they saw as a basketball superstar, and I believe it was just as special for the varsity standout.
Unified basketball gives the students with disabilities a chance to experience something they normally wouldn’t be able to. They are athletes representing their schools — just like the varsity football or basketball players that they see walking the halls.
It’s also a great experience for the students who are partners on the unified team. They get a chance to become friends and teammates with someone who they might not normally interact with thanks to this program.
When the unified players are on the court together or walking through the halls at school, they are not “athletes” and “partners” — they are simply teammates, they are part of a family.
While it’s obviously great for both the athletes and partners, the unified program makes an impact throughout a school district. Unified basketball seems to have an ability to bring people from all over the community together to support something that is truly uplifting.
I understand that everyone has busy schedules. You may play a sport yourself or you may have kids playing other sports, but I hope that you will check out a unified basketball game this year.
If you’re a high school student go support your classmates at least once this year. Even if you have been out of school for 20 or 30 years and no longer have children in your local school district, take a couple hours and go to a unified game.
I guarantee you will see some entertaining basketball, but you will also get to witness an event that highlights the best part of sports.
— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.
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