Unified Sports at NHS

During the school year, students at Newtown High School participate in Unified Sports. Both students with special needs and students without disabilities participate actively in the club. Mentors help guide students with disabilities and promote inclusion. Throughout the school year sports like basketball and soccer are held. Many students come together and make memories through teamwork and cooperation.

Through many helpful adults and supporting mentors, Unified Sports is described as a supporting and inclusive environment for many students, with or without autism, everyone is welcome. 

Unified Sports allows for one on one relationships, and group friendships. Everyone is different and the preference of a smaller or larger teamwork group varies. Differences aren’t focused on and obstacles are worked together as teammates. 

“I made friends with Timo, and Isaiah throughout Unified,” NHS sophomore Eric Cambra said.

Both students with and without disabilities play on a team together. The structure of the team allows for involvement from every player, no matter the skill level. While communicating, and cooperating, all of the players contribute to the team and bonds can easily be created through a mutual understanding. Teammates share successes such as, making a goal, better passing skills, and other strategies.  If they are aware of each other's strengths, they can learn from each other. Spending time with the same people constantly causes people to be more familiar with each other and those relationships can possibly extend beyond sports.  

“Being a part of any team works to improve communication skills, because it forces students to be in environments that they're less comfortable with, and it provides a higher level of thinking when you're multitasking, doing an activity, while needing to communicate with your peers,”  NHS foreign languageCharles Taubl said.

There is also a unique blend of mental, physical and emotional health involved through Unified. The sports include constant movement like cardiovascular fitness, muscle strengthening, and coordination enhancements. The environment is social, and includes positive movements.

“It’s great to put them into exposure therapy to foster social connections which is good for their communication, and unified keeps them active,” NHS sophomore Stella Wasley said.

The inclusive system can promote a calmer mindset and encouragement of self confidence as well. Physically, improvement can be shown by consistent running, passing, and scoring. Consistency of activeness may improve students overall physical wellness and also teach them these motor skills through constant practicing. Mental aspects could involve decision making, and goal setting that could result in positive experience. However, emotionally could do with more of the setting and interactions like teamwork, and inclusion. 

“A lot of the athletes are more confident in themselves and they are happier, because they can play sports outside of school or even perform better, as well as bonding without feeling left out,” NHS sophomore Hailey Pham said.

In various settings beyond the field, physical, social, and interpersonal skills can be applied. Communications, and group interactions at Unified Sports can be used outside of Unified. Movement and exercise skills learned like running, and passing could be used in other physical activities similar. Teamwork in sports can contribute to group projects, other clubs, and eventually jobs one day.

“There are a variety of benefits, like soft skills, as well as improvements in motor skills, being able to move around can also improve flexibility and physical fitness,” Taubl said.