“Unified is important because it gives regular ed students an avenue and a glimpse into what everyday life is like for maybe someone who’s in special education or has some kind of an impairment that they work with the entire day,” Adam Krause explains. One of Wilsonville’s Unified basketball coaches, Mr. Krause, describes the loving matrimony that Unified provides. In Krause’s educational history as an undergrad, he shares,
“I was very thankful to go through a program at my University where we were able to work with students who have disabilities, and got to go through different PE classes and functional stuff for them in athletics or sports. Already having a background in managing different IEPs or cases where someone has a disability made me more passionate during the Unified season. It’s also a great avenue for them to see different schools.” Krause then goes on to further elaborate on the beauty of Unified programs:
“It may not only be a physical impairment, cognitive, emotional, or behavior; it requires a different lens that typically isn’t seen during the school day. You learn how to better manage that scenario if that were to come up again; what if your cousin had an impairment? What if your kids down the road have impairments as well? It teaches people to be successful with that. Unified should be held high in a sense and you should be proud to be a part of it.”
For the past 4 months, Wilsonville Unified has worked to practice ball handling skills, position players for successful shots, and work together in a positive environment. Transitioning from soccer to basketball season brought excitement and anticipation, as new players would be joining, and the Wildcats were coming off of a tournament championship win at the tail end of soccer season.
While some players have been consistent members of the Unified family, such as seniors Reagan Meister, Reagan Peterson, Robbie Peterson, Joren Lundberg, Chloe Parker, and many other athletes, there were also some fresh faces to the program. As an all-inclusive team, Wilsonville thrives by connecting students of all grade levels, skill sets, and capabilities into one program. Reagan Peterson, a senior athlete shares, “I like dribbling the ball. I loved working with my teammates Keller, Sadie, Reagan Meister, and Ryan. It was also fun with my brothers, Robbie and Fletcher. My favorite memory was making the ball in the net.”
Unique to Wilsonville, the Unified team prioritizes its players, meaning that everyone works hard, but the goal is teamwork and compassion on the court, rather than shining the spotlight on personal successes and achievement.
“The partners do a great job of tending to the needs, but then also supplying a decent challenge to the athletes,” Mr. Krause begins, describing the balance between partners and players in Unified. “You can’t just do everything for the athlete; you can put them in the best chance to be successful, but, in a skill development piece, it takes a lot of reps and practice, just like it would for anyone,” he continues.
Within Unified, each moment is celebrated; learning comes from the mistakes, and laughter and joy blossom from the wins.
Positivity is a major aspect of Unified, which is practiced, preached, and encouraged by the leading coaches, Melissa Swagerty, Jared Alvarez, Adam Krause, Shawna Olberding, and every other supporting adult. Unified pours into each participant individually, but also the program as a whole. Unified helper, Joren Lundberg, alludes to her perspective by saying,
“I really try to bring positivity to the group; everyone should be seen. I am still hoping to maintain contact with everyone and stay friends with them. I think it’s been a great experience for the players to be a part of something bigger and it’s beneficial not just for them, but for us as partners, too.”
Unified fosters equality to its finest, but also challenges athletes to push their bodies and excel not only physically, but also mentally. Players are taught to play with class and passion, yet energy and hustle. Swagerty underlines, “The whole purpose is to get kids who love the same sport together to enjoy it. Building that community and that passion through friendship is the entirety of the purpose.” The traits of endurance and tenacity carry into classroom and learning environments as well, along with the relationships formed between players and partners.
This season, Wilsonville’s Unified team has experienced opponents that tested their physical limits, but in the end, gave everyone an active experience that each person reflects on with gratitude. With so many outstanding athletes, Wilsonville split Unified into 2 teams this year, not based on athletic ability, but more-so, for the purpose of giving everyone fair minutes and quality playing time during games.
Team “Wild” successfully challenged each of their opponents, with leading scorers Tavin Agee, Robinson, and Shalin Taksali. Melissa Swagerty elaborates on this and says, “I’ve only been a part of Unified for two years, but I know that at least at our school, the amount of partners that have been willing to participate has significantly grown. I love seeing that growth because it just pulls people from different areas, different grades, and different walks of life together. They all have brought happiness to different kids at different points of time.”
The second team, called “Cats,” learned the importance of sportsmanship in tough games against Oregon City, Canby, and other impressive athletes, along with how to play lovingly with players who were wheel-chair bound or debilitated more severely, such as team “Cats'” game against Sherwood.
“I think every single parent loves watching their kids with their peers; knowing that they’re being looked after and befriended by people makes every parent feel good,” Swagerty shares while describing parent involvement and appreciation towards the program.
Throughout the months, Unified was sent to many other cool experiences where the teams bonded together. Whether it be to RipCity scrimmages, to the Moda Center for game day, or out for team dinners and media day fun, the Wildcats poured into the relational aspect of sports just as much as enduring practices.
Some Unified partners are former athletes or varsity starters for other sports, such as Taylor Smith, who played her senior season with Wilsonville’s soccer team in the fall, or Sadie Hibbard, a softball varsity athlete. Despite their capabilities, they enjoy the Unified experience and especially, the welcoming community around them.
Each sport and athlete can benefit from the ‘Unified way.’ Players learn to boost team morale, understand how to read the game intensity and play with high IQ, and participate selflessly. No matter the record of wins to losses, the season was a success! Whether Unified athletes awaited for the season to start, or dreaded the practices, everyone concluded the final home game with a longing to continue the season.
On Wednesday evening, March 5th, Wilsonville hosted the final season game, highlighting Wildcat seniors. Both teams came together and put forth their senior athletes, who went up against Willamette in a nail biter.
For spectators, participants, peers, and coaches, Unified is an experience of a lifetime. Where else are we all considered “one?” Humanity’s goal is to unify and make ourselves equal as a society. Unified is not only a cornerstone to this goal at the high school level, but spills into shaping people as they graduate and face their lives ahead. “I think Unified is one of the best experiences you’ll ever have in high school. It’s such a great opportunity to get to be friends with people you maybe wouldn’t have otherwise thought to hang out with,” Lundberg states, reflecting on the season and looking forward to the upcoming months.
Melissa Swagerty concludes by speaking a few words she wishes to say to the student body and people unfamiliar with Unified; “If you get the opportunity for one season to just try it, I don’t think you’ll want to stop. You will fall in love with it.”
