Unified Sports
By Brielle Litt ('24)
Unified Sports is one of the newest teams at NRHS! Unified Sports gives students with disabilities a chance to be a part of a sports team by combining people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team, giving a sense of friendship, communication, and teamwork. Members on the team have important roles to teach initiative, sportsmanship, and independence, with the overall result teaching that they can do anything they put their minds to! This is an amazing, inclusive program that gives everyone a smile. It has encouraged so many students to step out of their comfort zone, try new things, and make new friends.
The team trains, practices, and plays competitive sports games against other neighboring schools. Unified Sports is no different than any other sports team at NR by the level of dedication it takes to practice, and have the same drive to win and improve like everyone else.
This is the first year North Rockland has had a Unified Sports team. Even as a new program, it has gained lots of fame and has become the talk of NR! NR has two Unified teams, bowling and basketball, and both teams have gained lots of popularity due to their amazing team players and their skills brought to the team.
North Rockland Unified Bowling
NR Unified Bowling was our first Unified sport, and it took place during the winter. Our Unified Bowling team had a record of 4-0, undefeated! Each student individually improved throughout the season, causing the team to improve and develop as a whole. During practice we would work on our approach and how to throw the bowling ball. Coach Nelson, the girls Varsity Bowling Coach, stepped in to coach the Unified team. With lots of hard work and dedication, the team was able to come home with a win! Even if we didn't do well every time, everyone was supportive, kind, and compassionate to each other. We had an extremely fun time, and made lots of memories and new friendships.
Some of the Unified players after their first match & award ceremony:
Zecary Osei ('24) Mia Caba ('24) Angelo Amoros (‘23) Mikaela Goldstein (‘24) Brielle Litt (‘24) Kenny Koehler (‘25) Richara Taitt (‘23) Kelly Barros (‘23) Vanessa Spataro (‘23)
Kaitlin Gaviola (‘23)
Each buddy was paired with a partner to play with (the partner would be a student without intellectual disabilities). The partner is given the role of helping the buddy understand how to play and supporting them throughout the way. For the bowling team, the buddy and partner were paired up with another group, and would bowl on the same lane together. We bowled, calculated our scores, and had a good time! Unified Bowling had lots of support at our matches and got lots of people curious about what the Unified team was really about and how to get involved. Unified Bowling brought students together and gave a sense of inclusiveness, creating an overall positive energy which brought the team to success!
North Rockland Unified Basketball
NR Unified Basketball is our current Unified Sport. U-Basketball has received its hype due to the amazing, talented team players and our active updates with the NR community on the insta page:@nr_unifiedsports. Many students signed up for Unified Basketball with little to no experience of being on a basketball team, but Coach Nardone and Coach Miller stepped foot on the court with a huge drive and goal to get us prepared and ready to play! The team is currently 6-0 with an undefeated season. The team has got loads of students excited to be on a sports team due to their love and passion for basketball and to try something new. Many students with intellectual disabilities aren’t given the same support Unified Sports does for the basketball team. Unified has given them the opportunity to show off their skills, and to be a team player in leading the team to success.
Many students with intellectual disabilities aren’t given the same support Unified Sports does for the basketball team. Unified has given them the opportunity to show off their skills, and to be a team player in leading the team to success.
During the season, the team practiced Tuesdays through Thursdays and had both home and away games! At our home games, the stands were packed with supporters from our community like students, parents, teachers, and even the NR district board! Every student has improved in some way and has an impact on our team. Teamwork is what makes the Unified Basketball team so strong and successful.
On the team, everyone is friends and has a positive attitude each time we step foot on the court. What makes the team so special is our dedication to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Everyone deserves a chance to be part of something they enjoy, and that's what being a part of Unified is all about. Each individual on the team leaves the court with a big smile on their face even if they miss a basket, or don’t do as good as they hoped; what matters is that we tried our best. U-basketball gives students a sense of belonging and inclusiveness, which everyone deserves to feel. The team is nothing but a positive, fun experience and definitely has had a huge impact on many students' lives.
All photo courtesies of Brielle Litt ('24)