November marks the beginning of Camas High School’s (CHS) next season of Unified Sports, intending to include players with all kinds of talents.
This winter, the CHS athletics program will offer Unified Basketball to our students. The sport is open to anyone, and coaches Sean Tamura and Stephanie McGinty actively encourage students and athletes to join and help the team. Athletes will be training for the next competition happening in Washougal on Jan. 20.
The Special Olympics created Unified Sports in 1989 to bring equal athletic opportunities to students with intellectual disabilities. Their mission is simple.
“Our opponent is intolerance. Only shoulder-to-shoulder, as teammates together, can we defeat it,” Special Olympics said on their website.
They offer sports like flag football, bowling and relays, but CHS only participates in winter basketball and spring soccer.
“You don’t have to be an athlete to join Unified Sports,” McGinty said. “Everyone is welcome to join in and help the team.”
Students can participate by attending biweekly practices every Monday and Wednesday from 3 to 3:30 p.m. and aiding players in the sport. For Unified Basketball specifically, partners help retrieve rebounds and assist the coaches in training with the players.
“I used to play basketball in middle school and got back into it because of Unified Sports,” Unified Basketball partner Michael Marnella said. “I tried it and instantly loved it.”
Last year, practices occurred during Conference Period, which was nearly 30 minutes long, and happened before the buses departed. This year, however, the shorter Student Support time means the team will need to find a new time to practice. Currently, the team plans to meet after school and arrange transportation for players who might need it.
At the Unified Student informational meeting, Tamura advocated that this sport is meant to include all students, whether due to financial hardships or intellectual disabilities. Therefore, the coaches continue to try their best to accommodate students, whether providing necessary sports equipment or aiding with transport. They are actively seeking out any parent volunteers who would also be willing to assist them.
“Now, more and more people are showing up because they’re realizing how fun it is,” Marnella said.
Last winter season marked the first time the team traveled to compete, and they hope to make it to the state tournament this year.
Unified Sports is a series of low-stakes competitions hosted with the aim of including people from all walks of the athletic world. Students interested in becoming a Unified Athlete can contact either [email protected] or [email protected] before Dec. 5.
