Smiles so wide they hurt your cheeks, screaming laughter filling the air, the swift kick of a ball, the swish of a net.
Unified Sports and Partners Club have impacted people of all abilities in ways that have made Woodgrove High School more inclusive and allowed teens to feel more comfortable while interacting with one another. Both of these organizations allow students to make connections, get a chance to take a break from schoolwork, and socialize outside of the classroom.
Unified Sports is where students gather as “athletes and partners” to play many different sports. It is like an adaptive PE class, where each athlete has people around them to support while performing the activity and to involve them. Unified Sports ties in with the Special Olympics. According to the Special Olympics website, “Special Olympics is a global sports movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities.”
Unified Sports and Partners Club allow all high schoolers the opportunity to feel included and make new friends outside of their own classes. Claire Thompson is a senior and president of Unified Sports. She plans to study occupational therapy through special needs in order to help teens with intellectual disabilities with their fine motor skills. She stated, “Building bonds and friendships has been the main part of why I still do it.” Gianna Russo, one of the student leaders for Partners Club, also explained, “It’s a way to form friendships…everyone deserves friendship.” In addition to building friendships, these clubs improve social skills, can give a confidence boost, and provide opportunities for leadership roles. Inclusivity within schools is an important part of the day to day in order to engage all high school students and get them out of their shell.
Teachers and students at Woodgrove state the benefits of what can come from treating others with respect. Ms. Kelsey Seymour, a special education teacher at Woodgrove, explained that she had an IEP in school and wanted to help other students that did as well. She shared, “I’ve lived it as a student, so it was nice to be able to live it as a teacher too.” Seymour not only helps in the education department, but also Unified Sports and Partners club. By bringing her students to these clubs, she introduces them into an environment where everyone is welcomed. Involvement in clubs like these can increase your empathy and understanding towards people and things. Russo also added, “It’s helped me to be more patient. Not just with my fellow students, but with other people.” Leaders within these clubs gain and improve communication skills.
These clubs have had a big impact on making teens with intellectual disabilities excited for school. Thompson, being the president of Unified Sports, personally has witnessed this. She claimed, “[Unified] makes students feel more at home and want to come to school.” The environment and culture of school becomes more supportive when everyone is interacting with each other. Seymour stated, “Whenever [my students] go to Partners Club or Unified Sports, it’s their time to socialize. When they’re in my classroom, it’s more work and academics, so they’re not as excited in my classroom.”
Unified Sports and Partners Club offer many benefits to both students and teachers that are involved; school environments become more inclusive for everyone, and members or leaders gain the ability of patience when working with others. Teens in the Special Education Department get to interact with their peers, and become more comfortable with being at school. Katelyn Hall is a student in the Special Education Department. I told her, “I’m in Unified today, so you can hang out with me!” With a big hug, Hall excitedly exclaimed, “Yay!”