Unified Sports

Unified sports can be done at any school. This is a team of both special education students and general education students pairing up to make a whole unified team. These can be members with both high functioning and low functioning disabilities. These are very helpful for all students including the general education students. I personally feel that the students in the general education classes get more from it. There is no feeling better than the feeling that you just helped someone and made a difference in their life.

This creates a more unified community and a more unified school. These are great because a more unified school or more unified community creates more acceptance in both. A lot of people are good about accepting others, but not hanging out with them and fully accepting them, so this would help. These kinds of sports would better even the most accepting communities.

Schools can create these or someone can in the community. They can be any range of sports, and if they are good at it they can compete in the Special Olympics. There can be anything from cheerleading teams to bocce ball teams. You could even create your own sport to compete in. If you do that though, you cannot compete in the Special Olympics, and you will not have teams to compete against.

This will help with Best Buddies as well. You can use these sports as bonding with your buddy, or go watch some competition they are in. This creates stronger friendships and longer lasting ones. I know I feel closer to teammates and they become your friends or even are sometimes referred to as a sports family. 

I want to start a unified sports team at my school. I think it will help promote inclusion and help make others more knowledgeable about students with disabilities. I want to show everyone the other students can be just like us. They can participate in sports, and do anything we can. I think it will help because they will get to celebrate wins just like we do and get celebrated in the school. They can also get awards and have fun. I think it is a win for everyone.