Have You Ever Been to a Unified Game?

I remember my first time going to a Unified basketball game. I had no clue what unified sports was and had just recently learned that my high school had a team. As a cheerleader, I had attended many of my high school's varsity basketball games. The high energy and competitive atmosphere carry through every game. Some of my best memories from high school were from cheering at basketball games, but little did I know that the one unified game I went to would be one of my all-time favorites.

Unified Sports is an initiative started by Special Olympics that provides people with intellectual disabilities to participate and compete in various sports. Since students with intellectual disabilities (IDs) often are not able to play for their school's team, the unified program that has been adopted by more than 8,300 schools in the US is making sure no one misses out on an opportunity. I’ve learned from further research that the Unified program brings athletes with and without disabilities together to share a mutual passion for the sport.

Besides the fact that I wasn’t cheering, and I was sitting on the bleachers next to my mom, the game started out like any typical high school basketball game. The players, who I all recognized from going to school with them, were warming up on the court. They soon played the national anthem and then the game was about to begin. My mom informed me that there were two players on the team who did not have IDs. They are called “partners” and their job is to just pass the ball and help facilitate play.

I soon realized what made unified sports so much more special. Instead of the highly competitive (sometimes menacing) atmosphere I was used to with varsity sports, there was a fostered environment of inclusion and empowerment coming from both sides of the gymnasium. It was the first and only game I had been to where fans on both teams were cheering for each other, and every player was getting their own chance to showcase their skills. It was quite refreshing and heartwarming to witness and changed the way I had always thought sports had to be. Sure enough, I looked over at my mom and she was crying.

The more I learned about unified sports, the more I wondered why there weren't more unified programs throughout the country. Not only does the program allow for the athletes to learn and grow but it also causes its spectators to change any preconceived notions they have of people with disabilities. I think if more people knew about the program and knew how impactful it was there would be opportunities for all athletes to participate in every school. In 2024, Special Olympics hopes to have programs in over 10,000 schools in the US. They recently partnered with New York City Schools to begin programs for more than 2,000 of their students.