It is a fun and exciting program that is growing throughout Jordan School District. We’re talking about Unified Sports, a program that joins people with and without disabilities on the same team, whether it is basketball, soccer, golf or even Esports.
On this episode of the Supercast, we explore how training and playing together creates a path to lasting friendship and understanding among students with special needs and their peers. Unified Sports really is helping to break down stereotypes, empowering students on and off the playing field.
Audio Transcription
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It's a fun and exciting program that's growing throughout Jordan School District. We're talking about Unified Sports, a program that joins people with and without disabilities on the same team, whether it is baseball, soccer, golf, or even eSports. On this episode of the Supercast, we explore how training and playing together creates a path to lasting friendship and understanding among students with special needs and their peers. Unified Sports really is helping break down stereotypes, empowering students on and off the playing field.
We're here in the gym at Riverton High School, talking with Alexis Brown, who is the coach for the Unified Sports program. Tell us about how long you've been here, what you teach, just introduce yourself.
Alexis Brown:
I'm Alexis Brown. I work at Riverton high school in the Special Ed department as one of their Life Skills teachers. I started working here last year as an intern. So this is only my first year as a licensed teacher here at Riverton High School and in Jordan School District.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, we're really excited to have you here, and I'm excited for this program. Riverton is ahead of the curve. We're starting this program throughout the District in the fall, but you guys have been doing this for a little while. Tell me about what Unified Sports looks like at Riverton High School.
Alexis Brown:
At Riverton High School we have a really large Unified Sports program. We have 21 life skill students here and those are the athletes that participate in the sports. There's usually about 10 students that participate on each of the teams, soccer, basketball, and track. We get the students and most of the time my Unified athletes come from my peer tutoring classes, the students that work with the students in their classes every single day. But a lot of times those peer tutors and the Unified partners that have done it before pull in their friends have never even worked with any of the athletes before. And it creates a fun community because that's people that never even thought of peer tutoring, never even thought of working with people with disabilities, and now they're in the Unified Sports program.
Anthony Godfrey:
And they may not be athletes themselves at all, but now they have a chance to be part of something.
Alexis Brown:
Yes, most of the peer people that participate are not athletes. The people on the high school basketball team aren't on the Unified basketball team and we prefer that they don't play so that the students that are playing have a more meaningful time doing it. They have more time to play. There's not just one person dominating it. They feel like they are a contributing person to the team. And if there's a basketball player on it, they're not contributing as much as they would.
Anthony Godfrey:
And it involves more students who don't already have the opportunity to be part of an extracurricular activity.
Alexis Brown:
Most of the Unified partners that compete with us are in our Wolf Buddies Club here at Riverton High, so our Unified club and that's basically what they do. And so adding another piece to it where they get to do sports on top of that adds another depth to our club and our inclusion here at Riverton High School.
Anthony Godfrey:
And what I love about this program is that it builds friendships and connections that go well beyond the sport. So it just deepens those friendships and connections and makes everyone feel more a part of what's going on here at school.
Alexis Brown:
Yes, definitely. One of my athletes and one of my Unified partners was a peer tutor last semester and the semester just changed. My students were devastated when this Unified partner left because it was such a big part of the team. It went with us to state for our soccer state tournament, did a lot with our students, and would come in before school and say hello. One of my students was like, ‘I'm gonna glue you to my backpack so that you can’t leave me. Like you have to stay a peer tutor.’ So luckily this Unified athlete is doing basketball again and so they're all super excited to have another familiar face on our Unified team.
Anthony Godfrey:
Good. That's outstanding. Well, I know it takes extra effort and I just really appreciate your dedication to the program and to all of the kids who are part of it. It makes a big impact. Thank you.
Alexis Brown:
Thank you. I love these kids.
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, we catch up with some student athletes and find out how they are benefiting from the Unified Sports experience.
Break:
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Anthony Godfrey:
We are here with the Unified basketball team at Riverton High School with a couple of athletes and Unified partners. Introduce yourselves, tell me your name.
Anyinda:
My name is Anyinda.
Saul:
My name is Saul.
Kole:
Hi, I’m Kole
Marinn:
I’m Marinn.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Let's talk first to our athletes. What does this mean to you to be on this basketball team?
Anyinda:
It's fun and we can shoot hoops.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, that's a good combination. How about for you? What do you like?
Saul:
Shooting hoops and dribbling.
Anthony Godfrey:
You like the dribbling?
Saul:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
I never wanted to practice dribbling. Do you practice your dribbling?
Saul:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
I'm not an athlete, so I've never heard people clap for me when I'm shooting the ball. Does that feel good to have people clap when you're shooting the ball?
Saul:
Yeah. It makes me feel, it makes me feel nice.
Anthony Godfrey:
Does that give you some energy when you hear people clap for you?
Saul:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Have you made some friends being on the team?
Saul:
Uh, yeah, Kole.
Anthony Godfrey:
Kole?
Saul:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about Kole.
Saul:
Uh, he's my bestest best friend. We hang out together sometimes at lunch.
Anthony Godfrey:
What sports does he play with you?
Saul:
Soccer and basketball.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Kole, let's talk to you. Tell me about his skills.
Kole:
So he's pretty good. Probably one of the better players on the team.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Does he get focused once he gets the ball in his hand?
Kole:
Very focused.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. That's good. I can see that he's got a lot of energy, that he's ready to go. Tell me what it means to you to be a Unified partner on this team.
Kole:
It lets me help out the athletes, play the game and have fun with them and teach 'em how to play basketball and stuff.
Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me what it looks like. How frequently do you practice? When do you have games?
Kole:
We practice every day and we have games every Saturday.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And a big tournament's coming up, is that right?
Kole:
Yeah, the championship, for state championship.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And what do you like most about playing?
Anyinda:
Playing? Um, let's see, um,
Anthony Godfrey:
Shooting?
Anyinda:
Shooting and passing and relationships with my friends and stuff.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, great. Tell me about what friends have you made on the team?
Anyinda:
Um, Jason.
Anthony Godfrey:
Jason. Tell me about Jason.
Anyinda:
Um, he's my friend and he's kind and we always talk a lot.
Anthony Godfrey:
Does Jason like to pass the ball like you do?
Anyinda:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. That's good. That makes for good friendships. Tell me about being a Unified partner on this team.
Marinn:
I loved it, I still do. It gives me a unique opportunity to become closer friends with the athletes and it brings a lot of happiness to me personally. Just because seeing them happy and seeing them work hard and accomplish something is very heartfelt and nice to see.
Anthony Godfrey:
Have you played sports other than being involved in the Unified Sports team?
Marinn:
Not for a long time. I used to play soccer when I was a kid and then I redid it playing Unified Soccer. I actually was like, maybe I should join the team. But I didn't because I don't think I have the best skills.
Anthony Godfrey:
But now this has given you an opportunity to compete and you wouldn't have been doing that otherwise.
Marinn:
Yeah, I love it. I mean, it has something mixed with like competition, which I love competing, and helping people and working with other people that I wouldn't normally have the chance to work with.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you wouldn't have made the friends that you've made on this team without this, this program.
Marinn:
I've never made friends as fast as I have being on this team.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome. But do those friendships continue off the court?
Marinn:
Yeah, I mean, Anyinda, I met him during soccer. And now whenever I see him in the halls, he comes up to me and he says, “hi”, and we just talk and it's really nice.
Anthony Godfrey:
Anyinda, how does it feel to have some friends from Unified Sports?
Anyinda:
Um, it's amazing. So, yeah, and it's fun.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you very much. I'm excited to hear about how your competition goes later this month and keep up the great work.
We are here with Scott Weaver, the president and CEO of Special Olympics, Utah and Courtnie Worthen, the director of Unified Champion Schools. Thank you very much for spending time with us. These are two individuals that have made it possible for us to accelerate our Unified Sports efforts in our schools and just provide for more inclusion in our schools, which is really a primary goal here in Jordan District. But let me give you a moment to introduce yourselves and then let's talk about Special Olympics and Unified Sports.
Scott Weaver:
Hello and thank you again for having us. I've been with Special Olympics for gosh, 42 years now in some capacity and was fortunate enough to be around when Unified Sports started back in the late eighties. I've grown up and grown and old with Unified Sports, as well as my kids, they were partners on Unified Sports team. So I'd say it's a program that really, I think has been one of the best kept secrets with Special Olympics, which is not a good thing. We appreciate the support from the Jordan Education Foundation and the school district to help us get the word out to the many students that benefit from this program.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now, some folks don't know much about Unified Sports. So tell us about your role with that and then really what is Unified Sports?
Courtnie Worthen:
So I started with Special Olympics as a Unified partner at Utah State University about 10 years ago and fell in love with the program. I was able to compete with students with disabilities and it was the greatest thing ever. And whether you missed the shot completely, everyone was still super excited. And so I knew it was something I really wanted to be a part of. So to be the director of Unified Champion Schools has been my dream job. Our goal is to create inclusive school environments across the state, to provide opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities, to interact with their peers and to just be a member of their schools.
Anthony Godfrey:
The goal is that everyone is on the same field together. That's really what I love about it. It's truly unified and it lifts everyone that's involved.
Courtnie Worthen:
Absolutely. Yeah, the Unified partners gain just as much, if not more, as the students with intellectual disabilities. I have friends from 10 years ago that I still talk to and it's just, it's really a way sports creates friendships. It gives you a community and it gives you something to connect with other people on. And so it gives students a disability, the ability to do that, and it gives peers something to talk to them about. It gives the Unified partners a way to see the human in a person with an intellectual disability and just be their friend.
Scott Weaver:
You know, I was gonna say that's an important part. And I think that’s often overlooked. There's sports, it's competitive, but there's the fun component of it. There's been a lot over the course of the decades. There's been a lot of research done on the value of Unified Sports and what it brings to schools and to the community at large. And one of the statistics that jumps out to me, that to Courtnie's point, is in the Unified Champion Schools programs those who have been evaluated, 94% of the students without disabilities had created friendships with people with intellectual disabilities. 94% is a huge number. I think when you can create those friendships both on and off the field of play to me, that in and of itself is the reason why this program should be everywhere and everyone should be taking part in it.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, to me, it's just one more option that we need to make available to every student. Obviously, Courtnie, as a partner, your life has been permanently impacted through that interaction. And that's really an important component of education is connecting with others. Maybe others who aren't like us, or who may not seem as connected to us, and seeing that we can make lifelong connections with people that we thought at first we might not be able to. And like you said, it humanizes everyone. And I think it gives people a sense that they have to connect with the people around them. And that's a skill that everyone can benefit from. Describe for me what things look like statewide right now and, and where we're headed from here.
Courtnie Worthen:
So we have gotten a lot of support on Unified Sports right now. First Lady Abby Cox has chosen Unified Champion Schools as one of her initiatives. And so with her, it's our goal to get Unified strategies into at least a hundred schools by the 22-23 school year. We are well on track to do that, especially with the support of the Jordan School District and the Education Foundation. All six high school schools in the Jordan School District will have at least one sport offered and we will offer Unified PE. We are starting to work on a statewide Unified PE curriculum, and we've gotten so much support from Utah Jazz and REAL Salt Lake hosting our tournaments and giving these athletes the opportunity to participate and compete on a professional pitch, which has been incredible.
Anthony Godfrey:
It was really fun to be at the event at REAL Salt Lake’s Rio Tinto Stadium. And just to see the joy that it brought everyone who was a part of it. It breaks down walls, builds connections, and we need a whole lot more of that in our society right now especially. If someone is listening to this and they want to be involved somehow, what would you tell them?
Courtnie Worthen:
It takes a champion. It takes someone in the school to want to do it. And I mean, really just reach out to me and we'll work on getting it started. It just takes, especially when we have the support of the administration, it makes it a lot easier. But if there's at least one teacher, one parent, one student who wants this will make sure it happens in their school, we'll make sure that we get the funding and we'll get them started.
Scott Weaver:
Yeah, for those who are listening who maybe have a student or a child that has graduated or, you know, they themselves as an adult, our Unified Sports program isn't limited to the schools. It's certainly a focus and a priority, but it is community. It is statewide. People of all ages and all abilities can participate in Unified Sports. We have partners in their senior years that are partners on bowling, bocce, golf teams. Anyone out there with an interest in being involved in sports and a fun environment and connecting with people in their community, I'd say, contact Special Olympics. We'd be happy to get you connected with a team, whether it be school based or community based.
Anthony Godfrey:
We'll put that information in the show notes so everyone can reach out and get involved. Tell me what sports we have available right now in the state of Utah.
Courtnie Worthen:
So for Unified Champion Schools, the Utah High School Activities Association has sanctioned Unified Soccer, Unified Basketball, and then Unified Track. But we also offer bocce, bowling, swimming, athletics, softball, soccer within our community. We've also added, I mean, Scott can talk to this, but we've also added Unified Cheer and dance sport.
Scott Weaver:
And flag football is a new sport. So I think right now, 12 sports throughout the state and continue to look to grow and expand the sports offerings for athletes.
Anthony Godfrey:
I think bocce would probably be my point of entry.
Scott Weaver:
It's a good one.
Anthony Godfrey:
I actually really like bocce ball. So there are lots of ways to get involved. Look at the contact information and reach out. Courtnie, Scott, thanks for taking time with us. And thank you most of all for the efforts you're making to promote these programs, but also just to make our community more unified and more connected.
Courtnie Worthen:
Thank you for having us. And thank you so much for your support and making it possible for these schools to be involved.
Scott Weaver:
Yes. Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
The first Unified Sports State Basketball Tournament is being held at Weber State University on Saturday, March 26th, beginning at 10:00 AM. The Riverton High Unified Basketball team takes the court to compete at 2:30. Join us in cheering them on. Go Silverwolves! Remember education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.