Unified Sports program gives students with special needs chance to play
High school sports have always been a way for students to make friends, compete, learn about teamwork, and have fun. Auburn students with special needs now have the same opportunity thanks to Unified Sports.Unified Sports is a program stemming from the Special Olympics. It is an inclusive program that features students with disabilities partnered with helpers (who aren’t disabled) in sports such as basketball and bowling.
Auburn’s Unified Sports program is led by Athletic Director Stephen Komanecky, who attended a basketball game while teaching in the Peru school district in the North Country. He said he was taken by the positive environment and giving students with disabilities an opportunity to play. Komanecky gained firsthand experience when he moved to the Camden school district, which offers Unified Sports.
“It was such a positive experience for the kids, the parents,” he said. “So I knew that when I got here (in Auburn last year), I saw that this was so
Komanecky discussed with Auburn Superintendent Dr. Misty Slavic the possibility of starting a Unified Sports program and received the go-ahead. Komanecky knew it was going to be a challenge to get the program started, but thanks to a great effort by Auburn staff, bowling began in the winter.
“I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to start it this year,” he said, “but we did a lot of work behind the scenes to make it happen, and that's a credit to our nursing staff, our teaching and coaching staff, and our administration for putting the pieces in place to make it work.”
For bowling, Komanecky said some of the logistical challenges involved securing lanes because Auburn doesn’t have any, which meant going to Rainbow Lanes in Weedsport, as well as transportation.
“When you have students who use a wheelchair and students with varying disabilities, there's a lot of logistical planning that goes into getting the proper transportation supports that they need. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make it all work. It was a challenge, but it has been well worth it.”
Komanecky said he worked with Auburn Nursing Supervisor Lonna Vrooman and the Special Education Department to ensure the students had everything they needed. Chris Lepak, from the junior high school, coached the bowling team.
“They've all really stepped up and made this a great experience for our kids,” Komanecky said. “It was a lot of logistical challenges to start, but once we got it up and running, I think everyone saw the benefit of it, and going forward, we have a much better idea of how it’s supposed to run and the supports that we need to plan for. Hopefully, we can expand on these programs, now that it's going.”
“When they told me the idea behind it and the students I'd be working with, I thought it'd be a great opportunity,” said Kowalski, who is also a math coach. “I thought it was something new. I want to be a part of it. The reason I thought that I might be good at it is because I've been coaching students from kindergarten up to seventh grade. So I've understood the process of beginning at the very basics of basketball and teaching the fundamentals. It's been so fulfilling and rewarding.”
For basketball, there are two helpers and three athletes on the court. The helpers get the students in the right direction, help them get the ball, take shots, and show them where to pass the ball.
Komanecky said the Auburn athletes have improved as the season's gone on.
“They have to do it on their own, which is great,” he said. “It runs a lot like a regular varsity basketball game, but there’s a lot more flexibility with the rules. Our student athletes, regardless of their disability, have all been able to participate. Everyone has scored multiple baskets so far, which has been awesome to see.”
“It's been so rewarding, amazing,” Kowalski said. “To see these students, how excited they are when they put the uniforms on for the first time, playing in front of their family and friends, having people cheer for them, scoring baskets, and just to see the joy and the excitement when we get ready to play or during the game. The coolest thing is, every game we've played, every kid has scored in every single game, and it's been just amazing to see. It's been the most amazing kind of environment that I've ever been a part of. With regards to basketball, I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of this, and I'm excited for the future of Unified basketball in Auburn.”
Komanecky and Kowalski are thrilled to see the Unified athletes enjoying the chance to play sports.
“Just the excitement I see on these faces, I can't describe how happy it makes me feel. Because when I watch them on the court,” Komanecky said, “it is clear that these opportunities are long overdue for them. But when I see all the kids working together, when I see the parents and our other student-athletes coming out to cheer them on, it gives me hope for our community, and in the future of our community, because everyone's working together. Everyone wants to see everybody do well. When we think about all the logistical plans and all the challenges that we had to work through to get this started, seeing them having fun makes it worth it.”
“The enjoyment of the kids to see how excited they get when they make a basket or the smiles and just the joy they're having playing basketball,” Kowalski said, “which they've never had the opportunity to do at this level. It's just been an incredible experience.”
Komanecky has been encouraged by the community’s response and wants to do more.
“Many parents of our student-athletes have reached out,” he said. “They’re very thankful for implementing these programs. But we don't want to stop here. We want to keep expanding on these programs. We want to be able to add new programs in the future.”
Komanecky said Auburn would like to add bocce if Section III implements it. But he has bigger plans. He would like to create a Special Olympics-type full-day event for schools in Cayuga County. He’s spoken to athletic directors, and the response has been positive.
“Students are able to compete and have a good time,” he said. “We're hoping to bring that to Auburn next year and bring in the other schools in our county. We're in the very early stages of planning it, so it's going to take a lot of planning from us, from the other schools in the county, but there's an interest for it. We think it's going to be a really big event, not just for our students, but for our community as a whole.”
Komanecky credits the success of Unified Sports to the support from Dr. Slavic and the administration in helping get the program running, his coaches, and the community.
“This is new for all of us, and I think going into it, a lot of our coaches weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but they've done such a great job of picking it up, adapting to each student's needs.
The community support is just unbelievable. We've had other varsity teams come support our Unified student-athletes. The parents have been there. It takes a lot of people to make this work. But now that it's up and going, we just want to continue to build on it.”
-- Christopher Sciria/AECSD Public Information Specialist
