Hillsborough High School offers a variety of ways for students to find an activity they feel showcases their strengths to help them get connected to the environment. It is a helpful resource to find people with similar interests and goals for the year. One of the best ways to take part in an activity in school is to participate in a fall, winter, or spring sport here at HHS. With different coaches and teammates for each sport, students can venture out and explore their interests to find a calling that best fits their personality.
Diving into sports available at HHS, Unified programs were implemented and strive to encourage students with disabilities to feel welcome into a space where they are comfortable taking part in teams and partnerships. Helping solve the issue of limited opportunities for students that face challenges getting involved in activities that have difficulty aiding to their needs. Unified Programs are a great alternative to integrate special education students with their peers into an inclusive space to train, socialize, and make friendships with students their age and gain confidence in their personal talents. Students are rewarded for their time and effort, and provided with varsity jackets, letters, and offered the chance to go to games and competitions with an enjoyable and non stressful atmosphere.
Unified Soccer (Fall)
Unified Soccer runs from August through November. When asked what it’s like being a coach, “Unified Soccer is a very rewarding experience,” Ernest Bernhard, the Unified Soccer Coach said. “The players don’t normally get to have the athletic competition their peers normally would, and they really enjoy playing against students from other schools. We also have student volunteers who are members of the team and everyone plays the game together. New friendships develop and there is interaction between students who would probably never meet during a typical school day. It is a great experience for me as well. Being able to see the players interact with each other, compete against other schools, and learn the meaning of sportsmanship.”
Unified Soccer usually has a combination of three games or practices each week. Some weeks consist of two practices and one game. Other weeks it is reversed. Unified Soccer tries to get out on the field three times every week, and has played a total of nine games against five different schools.
Unified Basketball (Winter)
Unified Basketball spans from November through March and is coached by Paul Johnson and Daniel Chiappetta. “Coaching unified has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had since becoming a teacher. The mission behind unified sports is inclusion and the partners who we’ve had over the years embody that goal. Seeing our athletes progress in their basketball abilities and socially has been the most rewarding part of being a unified coach,” Chiappetta said.
Unified Basketball meets twice a week, whether that be practice or games. They are scheduled for 12 games this year and will focus on working on their skills and gameplay for the future.
Unified Dance (Winter)
During the same winter season, United Dance operates through November into March. Kristin Comune is the coach of Unified Dance. “This season of Unified Dance is made up of seven members and it is integrated with the Hillsborough High School Dance Team,” Commune said.
Unified Dance meets two times a week and dances during half time for six basketball games. Unified dance had first competition of the season on Jan. 25 where they showcased off all of their hard work and moves they learned so far.
Unified Robotics (Winter – Spring)
The most recently developed Unified program at HHS is Unified Robotics, creating a shared interest in the field of science amongst all students in November through June. The group is advised by Anjana Iyer, Catherine Zavacki and John Askew. “This was Hillsborough’s first year running a unified robotics team. We discovered the organization earlier in the school year and were able to organize a team early in the season. Mrs. Iyer and Mrs. Zavacki ran team meetings once or twice a week, where the teams would build and test their robots, while I worked closely with our student mentors from team 75 to ensure we were on schedule for the season and had the materials we needed,” Askew said.
Unified Robotics has attended one official competition early in December where the team won the entire competition. They are now planning to run a mini season here in Hillsborough to try and expand the program, offering the same experiences to other students.
Unified Track and Field (Spring)
Unified Track runs from April through June. “Coaching gave me the opportunity to be in touch with the two things that I loved, working with the special needs population and track,” said coach Carlin Dunne. “Unified track was a program that existed about a year before I took over. I was in high school through college participating in track and then became an assistant varsity coach. Unified track is so important in high school because there are little extracurriculars for students with special needs that had the support that they needed.”
Unified Track is an eight-week season, and the state meet depends on the calendar but is usually at the beginning of June. Practices are twice a week, and they aim to have around five to six meets. Everyone practices and specializes in all events to become exposed to everything and potentially try something they never have. Meetings are held to gather student interest by showing pictures and videos from the previous seasons to students to see if they would be interested in taking part.
Impact
The Unified Programs are an effective approach to bridge the gap between special needs students and high school sports. Because their education has differences to the student body, they are often separated and need help finding ways to reconnect. They are ultimately more seen and appreciated by the school as a community through Unified. Keeping these programs accessible to students enlarges understanding of the student body as a whole and allows students with special needs to feel they play an essential role here at HHS.
