Unified Sports Program Celebrates Successful First Year at B-R.
Eight athletes qualify for state meet as district's inclusive athletics initiative exceeds expectations
BRIDGEWATER - May 21 - The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District's new Unified Sports program has exceeded expectations in its inaugural year, with eight athletes qualifying for the state meet at Natick High School.
Superintendent Ryan Powers shared details about the program's success during his annual evaluation presentation to the School Committee on Wednesday.
"This is probably the one I'm most proud of," Powers said about the Unified Sports initiative, which was one of his goals for the year.
The program, developed in partnership with Special Olympics and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), offers inclusive athletic opportunities for students with disabilities alongside student partners.
"If you haven't seen any of the highlights that are out there, I know Mr. Fowler from BTV has filmed some of the meets. It has just been simply amazing, the fact that we were able to actually get this up and running," Powers told the committee.
The district initially aimed to offer one unified sports program this school year, but successfully launched two in its first year: strength and conditioning during winter and track and field this spring.
Student participation surpassed expectations with approximately 12 students joining the strength and conditioning program and 16 participating in track and field.
"The involvement certainly surpassed our hopes. We weren't really sure what we would get for student involvement," Powers explained.
Community support has been equally impressive, with substantial attendance at both programs' events.
"We've had phenomenal crowds. For a smaller team, the amount of parental support, staff support that's shown up to both unified strength and conditioning and unified track and field has just been overwhelming," Powers said.
The district's DECA program contributed to the initiative by creating uniforms and gear for the winter strength and conditioning team, ensuring every student received a team T-shirt.
Eight athletes from the track and field team have qualified for the state meet scheduled for next Wednesday at Natick High School. The district plans a special send-off for the qualifying athletes.
"The fact that in year one we're able to have eight athletes qualify just shows the commitment between our staff, the district and our families to really get this program off the ground," Powers noted.
Unified Sports programs create opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to participate in sports activities together. These programs promote social inclusion through shared sports experiences, helping to develop friendships and understanding among students of all abilities.
The district has scheduled a leadership team meeting for Unified Sports on June 12 at the high school to begin developing a multi-year implementation plan.
"Now that we're able to kind of get through those two opportunities, we do want to be able to start to work on a multi-year implementation plan," Powers said. "Obviously we'll continue to offer these, but there are other sports that we want to be able to offer."
The district plans to form an advisory committee comprising students, parents, and staff to guide the program's future development.
"We want to offer to students, staff and parents to work on this multi-year plan," Powers explained.
School Committee members expressed enthusiasm about the program's success.
"I'm also excited about the Olympics stuff," said School Committee member Cleonie Mainvielle.
The Unified Sports initiative aligns with the district's broader goals of inclusion and providing equitable opportunities for all students. By creating these inclusive athletic opportunities, the district aims to foster a more supportive and understanding school community.
Powers indicated the district would continue both the strength and conditioning and track and field programs next year while exploring additional sports offerings based on student interest and available resources.
The success of the Unified Sports program represents a significant achievement for the district in its efforts to create inclusive environments where all students can participate and excel.
The committee will complete individual evaluations of the superintendent by June 6, with a composite evaluation to be presented at the June 11 School Committee meeting.
The next regular School Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, at 6 p.m. at the high school.
Watch the complete meeting courtesy of the Bridgewater Raynham Regional School District.
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