The Unified Sports Program is an amazing after school activity that I participate in. It was a huge success last year, and we are off to a great start this year. I believe everyone should get involved.

Joining Unified has allowed me to meet so many students at our school that I might not have gotten a chance to know otherwise. Sports have always been a huge part of my life. They have helped me develop and shape who I am as a person. I joined the Unified Sports Program because I believe everyone should have an equal opportunity to do this; getting to share this incredible experience on the field with everybody means so much to me.

I dedicate time to this program once a week. The practices are usually on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. During this time the coaches, Mrs. Casey, Mr. McGinness and Mrs. McGinness, set up drills for us to work on. They are all very encouraging and make the whole atmosphere there very enjoyable. While we are practicing I get a chance to talk to all the participants. This gives me opportunities to get to know everyone that is involved very well. Everyone loves to be able to talk and get to know each other while doing something fun. Unified Sports is co-educational, giving everyone an open shot to join. Right now we are playing soccer, but in the winter we will play some basketball and last year they played kickball in the spring. However the coaches are open to any other ideas.

On Tuesday, October 13 we played a game against Rockland’s Unified Team. The game was under the lights at Memorial Field. The stands were packed with fans and there were announcers at the game. I have never heard so much cheering during a game in my life. It was an awesome experience for everyone. Although Rockland won 9-8, everyone had a lot of fun. We are hoping to play another game against Carver soon.

The Unified Sports Program is something that I wish everyone could experience; I was hesitant to join at first, but I do not regret my decision. I love spending time with other students and sharing something that I enjoy. This program is something that I plan to continue on with for the rest of my high school experience. It has made a huge impact on my life, and it is something that I will never forget.