Little Women

Unifi ed Sports shoots for inclusivity

Abby Gorman Staff Writer

Adalia Luo Staff Writer

It’s a hot Friday aft ernoon, and students across campus are fi ling out of their classrooms for the cafeteria, the quad, or perhaps to the basketball courts for Unifi ed Sports practice. Every Friday, general and special education students come together to practice soccer, kickball or basketball. With the next Unifi ed Sports event just two weeks away, the participants and coaches alike are fi lled with excitement.

With the assistance of Jenny Finger, junior, and other volunteers, the program took off last year. Th eir fi rst major competition, the Unifi ed Basketball Tournament in March 2019, involved Th ousand Oaks and Westlake High School as well. However, this is the fi rst time kickball and soccer will be included, as well as the possibility of schools outside the district. “Th is year, we expanded it to three sports, and each school is hosting a tournament,” Anne Alvarez, Special Education teacher, said. “Eventually, we want to make it so we go to more tournaments, so we go over to play Simi, to play Oxnard, and then maybe we’ll have a big tournament where lots and lots of schools come.”

Volunteer coaches Rich Bradley and Michael Contreras, teachers at NPHS, may have only become fully involved this school year, but their passion for the program is evident. “My biggest takeaway is seeing the joy on those kids’ faces,” Contreras said. “I look forward to Friday at lunch, knowing I’m going to be with them. Now that they know me a little bit better, the high fi ves that I get, the hellos’ I get, stuff like that really brightens my day.”

Th e positive impact of the program on both the kids involved and coaches alike is indisputable. “Th ey’re just so happy with the experience, and to be out there. Th ings that other people take for granted, like being able to kick a ball, and the joy they get out of that really makes you appreciate your own circumstances even more,” Bradley said.

Th e combination of disabled and non-disabled athletes coming together to play on a team is monumental to fostering an inclusive environment at Newbury Park. “(Th e objective of Unifi ed Sports is) to show our kids that they can be a part of the school, and show the rest of the school that everybody can be a part of the school, and be involved with anything they want to be involved with at their level,” Alvarez said.

As the program continues to grow, the friendships made between all the students strengthen in turn. “It’s not just that the general education students go out there and coach. Seeing the interactions in the hallways, the high fi ves walking across campus, the inclusion,” said Contreras. “It doesn’t matter who; they make sure that they say hi to each other and sometimes introduce them to their friends. Th at’s something I think that’s really, really special about the program.”

In the weeks leading up to the tournament on February 7, Finger has high hopes for the team. “I hope that our team will learn more sports skills and really bond with each other,” Finger said. “It’s the best feeling seeing everyone included and happy.”

Shoot- Alex and Austin, two students on the Unifi ed Sports team, shoot a hoop during a Unifi ed Basketball Game. The students are an important part of the team and have played various sports for the program. Unifi ed Sports helps break barriers between the special education and general education students, while promoting inclusion and acceptance. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Boys Basketball swishes into season

Prasheetha Karthikeyan Features Editor

Th e boys varsity basketball team, with its diverse range of players from freshmen to seniors, started its season strong, with a record of 17-6 .

Th e season has been going well, according to Andrew Wilson, senior. “We’ve had our ups and downs but we’re a tight knit group and are looking to end our season strong,” Wilson said.

Quincy Bentley, junior, has been playing basketball since he was in third grade, thanks to his father. “My dad played and I always thought he was in the NBA when I was a kid, but he was literally just in an adult league, so then I just wanted to follow in

his footsteps and play too,” Bentley said.

Th e team collectively has been coordinating well together. “We’ve meshed pretty well, even though we haven’t been playing for that long. We’ve been playing since the summer, so we know each other well enough to get through anything...the chemistry is really close,” Bentley said.

Many players have set and accomplished individual goals for themselves. “One of my goals was to score 30 points in a game, and to break a record, I did that in the same game. My next goal is 40 points, I broke the three point record, and my next goal for that is to break the scoring record,” Bentley said.

Likewise, Cooper Lucas, freshman, has been able to break a record in his fi rst year. “I’ve been a starter in some games this year, and I’m pretty sure I broke the school freshman record for three pointers. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable playing at this high level,” Lucas said.

Overall, the team has been having an eventful season which the players hope will lead them to CIF. “I see us as a team going to CIF playoff s and personally I see myself being a much more complete ballplayer than I was at the beginning of the year,” Lucas said.

Vision- Hayden Smith, senior, passes the ball to Jackson Pierce, sophomore, after rushing down the court during a fast break. The team tried to convert their passes into points by shooting from behind the arc. Rahul D’Souza/Prowler

Swoosh- Andrew Wilson, senior, pulls up for a three after coming off of a screen set by Seth Berman, junior. Berman rolls off the screen to run down the lane for a pass. A Westlake player closes in to try to block the shot, but Wilson gets the shot off just in time and scores. Rahul D’Souza/Prowler