SPORTS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 31, 2021
21
TheMesaTribune.com @EVTNow /EVTNow
Skyline unified sports providing unique opportunity BY LOFTON LECHNER Tribune Contributing Writer
S
kyline High School’s new Unified Sports team will allow students with intellectual disabilities to compete alongside and in front of their peers. Unified Sports is a program that is a part of the Special Olympics that focuses on social inclusion. This is done by joining those with intellectual disabilities and those without on the same team. They play together on the same field with the same goal. For Skyline, this is its first year being a part of the Unified Sports program in Arizona. Before the program, students with intellectual disabilities could only participate in sports by playing them in their physical education classes. Those two classes were focused on getting the students involved and teaching them different skills and sports. With Skyline now a part of Unified Sports, those physical education classes have evolved to help prepare the students for competing in games against other schools. The higher-level class at Skyline has 12 students with intellectual disabilities and 12 partners all practicing basketball, preparing for games later this year at the AIA level, competing against unified teams from other schools. Skyline’s lower-level class has 20 students with intellectual disabilities that are doing the same, in preparation for the area games. With the program being new at Skyline, getting more students involved is a key area of focus moving forward for athletic director Phil Wail. Due to COVID-19, Skyline was unable to tell students about the program until after school had already started. With games approaching Wail has a plan to get the program more visibility. “A lot of the games that take place between our schools will be done during the school day,” Wail said. “When we have one of those [games] at our school . . . since it’s during the day, for our P.E. classes that are going on that would be great for them to be in the stands . . . to watch and cheer
Emily Nelson, front with blonde hair, and Gabriella Labrada both sought new opportunities with Unified Sports at Skyline High School. However, they had to join the AIA badminton team because a Unified program hadn’t yet been developed. Even then, they felt welcome. (Lofton Lechner/Tribune Contributor)
what’s going on.” briella Labrada weren’t able to take part in With fans in the stands, these students Unified badminton because the team was are able to feel like they are competing not formed in time for the fall season. So and fighting for their school. The students they joined the regular team and played are able to show off their competitive na- in exhibition matches that didn’t count toture that many do not realize is there. ward the team’s ranking. “The unified kids, they love the idea of Nelson is a swimmer by trade and has competing, competition, because they been swimming outside of Skyline for want to be a part of a team,” said physical the past seven years. She has gone from education teacher being a part of that Angelo Paffumi. team, to leading her “They just keep askyoung squad. ing about ‘Where’s Going into her our uniforms? Are senior year of high we gonna get unischool she wanted forms?’ They just to try something difwant to be a part of ferent and joined the that, because when badminton team. you’re a part of a This new experience team you’re a part for Nelson helped of the school.” tap into a side of her This feeling of that she normally inclusion is what doesn’t show. Unified Sports is all “Me, I’m not reabout. It brings stually competitive, but dents together to Skyline PE teacher Angelo Paffumi has seen I got to experience make an impact in the benefits Unified Sports have had on the the competitiveness school in a short amount of time. He couldn’t in the games, but each other’s lives. help but smile at the thought of the program Senior Emily NelI also got to make growing in the future. (Tribune File Photo) son and junior Gafriends,” Nelson
said. In Labrada’s case, she was approached by one of the assistant coaches on the badminton team. After having that conversation, Labrada decided that she would come out of her shell and join the team. However, with both girls now on the team, adversity began to rear its ugly head. Some coaches from other high schools began to take issue with Nelson and Labrada playing. Coaches would ask why the girls were not in Unified and why they are playing on the AIA team. Skyline badminton coach Stephanie Poppert explained that Skyline did not have a Unified badminton team for them to play on. Even though some of the coaches from other schools were not thrilled to have Nelson and Labrada on Skyline’s team, the girls from the other schools made Poppert proud. “All of the girls were great,” Poppert said. “No matter how anxious their coaches were or how enthusiastic their coaches were, the girls all took it in stride from all different schools.” The impact Unified Sports have had has been profound. By joining up with students with intellectual disabilities, their peers are now able to look at difficulties they have had in a new light. This new perspective allows them to better be able to focus in school. This new understanding from those students has allowed new partnerships to grow in the higher-level class. On a day where the class took a break from basketball to play kickball the students took advantage to have fun. Paffumi, with a smile from ear to ear, described how the students were joking around, picking each other up and laughing together. In Skyline’s first year of Unified Sports, the benefits and impact are already having an effect on the students involved. Step by step Wail and Paffumi are building a program based on unifying the school. “To me it’s all about the relationships, the communication, the acceptance, and coming together as one unit for the school,” Paffumi said. ■
••
