Many sports teams in numerous high schools are very homogenous: full of young men and women with similar physical endowments. This restricts their ability to learn from each other, due to their sameness. Unified Sports is an inclusive team that brings together athletes with all levels of capabilities. It allows those with diverse talents to play together, learn together, grow together, and work towards a common goal.
Ms. Little, the Director of Athletics and Wellness in ICSD, was a pioneer in establishing Unified Sports at IHS. Seeing the opportunity for all students to gain the benefits from participating in a team sport, she first proposed Unified Sports to ICSD Superintendent Dr. Luvelle Brown in 2017. Thirty-five years ago, high schools did not offer any program similar to this. Today, IHS is one of around 4,500 schools nationwide that are part of Unified Sports. The first year the program was put into place at IHS, the basketball team only had nine student athletes, and competed against seven schools. By 2019, the league has spread to thirteen schools, and the basketball team has over twenty-five players at IHS.
Unified Sports is supported by the Youth Activation Committee (YAC) at IHS, which consists of around twenty student leaders. Before this year started, I had little knowledge of the goals of YAC and how it contributed to our community. I am happy to now be a part of a group that spreads inclusive efforts through our school and community. We are very excited about this year because the success of Unified Basketball has led to the opportunity to add a new sport at IHS, Unified Bowling.
Bowling allows even more students of all ability levels to participate. Many IHS kids wanted to both score points in a high school game and have fun supporting teammates, but last year, there weren’t enough spots for everyone. With the addition of a bowling team, this year we have the opportunity to include even more passionate athletes in an accessible (but equally high-stakes) game.
The Youth Activation Committee isn’t just to support Unified Sports. Those who are a part of the program are also charged with inclusion throughout the entire day—not just during practice. Students involved are also expected to look for ways to make others feel included throughout the day, such as sitting with new people during lunch, pledging to not use the r-word, and pushing other students to participate in school activities such as dances and sports games. The YAC at IHS works to raise money for our IHS Unified teams, as well as for the Special Olympics. The Polar Plunge, in which Dr. Brown, Ms. Gray and other students jumped into Cayuga Lake during the winter, raised over two thousand dollars.
Unified Sports can be life-changing for those who do not typically get the chance to play sports. Students in Unified Sports recieve many benefits. Ms. Valletta, the Unified Basketball coach, mentioned hearing a player say, while putting on the Ithaca jersey, “. . . This is the first time I’ve ever worn a uniform.” Experiences that are taken for granted by many students can be life-changing for those who often feel excluded without the typical opportunities.
We should all be proud of a community that supports and constantly makes an effort for inclusion. Unified Bowling and Basketball is all part of a bigger picture. We at the YAC hope that you will join us. Make other IHS students feel included. We would appreciate students to support our Unified Team as you would any other sports team. According to the Special Olympics official website, “[Unified Sports] is inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.”