ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Royal Oak High School (ROHS) has been named a Unified Champion School by the Michigan Special Olympics.
According to the high school, a Unified Champion School is described as an education and sports-based strategy powered by an engaged student community that breaks down the barriers that separate students with and without intellectual disabilities.
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Students play in many unified sports games that usually take place between JV and varsity games.
Teams are made up of pairs of both male and female students with and without disabilities partnered for optimal court performance, according to ROHS.
Jim Hutton, the head coach of the team, said that many coaches are involved including paraprofessionals, school social workers and teachers. Andrew Wright and Elizabeth Reynolds are also on the coaching team, they’ve been coaching basketball since the team started playing in 2019.
Wright and Reynolds also coach the unified soccer program that was added this school year.
“It’s an extremely positive experience seeing the growth from the students who may not have gotten their time to shine, and seeing the smiles on the faces of the parents and classmates supporting them,” Hutton said. “The students are developing long skills on the court that can transfer to the classroom.”
ROHS says students who play for the unified sports teams get the chance to represent their school, earn a varsity letter, experience team travel and banquets, practice and learn teamwork.
Unified teams have a full schedule and play four, six-minute quarters before the varsity basketball game.
“To me, unified sports is the purest form of athletics; everyone that participates benefits from it, from the players to the officials to the parents and the fans,” said Royal Oak Schools Director of Activities and Athletics Brian Gordon. “In my 33 years, this is my favorite sport to watch, and it’s made a huge difference with how kids have been embraced as student-athletes just like anybody else.”
The school board, superintendent and the entire administration at Royal Oak have been on board and see the value the team brings to the community and the students participating, according to Gordon.
A banner-raising event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m.
ROHS says the event is open to the public.