Unified Sports is a partnership between Special Olympics Alamance County and ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Campus Recreation that brings together Special Olympics athletes and ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students through participation in various sports.
What are you doing Tuesday nights at 5:30 p.m.? If you ask any of the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students participating in the new Intramural Unified Sports league their answers will range from playing flag football, indoor soccer, meeting new friends through Special Olympics, and one of the best hours of my week.
Unified Sports is a partnership between Special Olympics Alamance County and ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Campus Recreation that brings together Special Olympics athletes and ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students through participation in various sports. Teams are created with two ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students, known as partner athletes, and three Special Olympics athletes. The teams learn the basics of the sport at the first practice and then play in a five-week season. ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Unified program began with flag football in September and has continued this fall with indoor soccer.
In addition to our campus program, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Unified was selected as one of the eight teams to compete in the first ever Special Olympics Unified Sports Flag Football Classic on Nov. 12 at the Carolina Panthers practice facility in Charlotte. In the single elimination tournament, the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Phoenix played UNC-Wilington and advanced to the semifinals after beating Wilington 14-7.
In the semifinal game against Winston-Salem State University, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ was down 21-14 before scoring a touchdown in the final moments of the game to send it into overtime. ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ eventually lost in a triple overtime thriller, but the tournament was never about wins or losses. It was about inclusion, teamwork, and the power of building community through sport and physical activity.
How can you get involved in Unified Sports? The intramural program will be offering one Unified Sports league during each intramural season this year. The next opportunity to participate will be bowling during winter term, with basketball, kickball, and flag football during the spring semester. League and registration information will be available on the Intramurals website.
All Unfied Sports leagues are currently being offered on Tuesday nights starting between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., with practices and games lasting approximately one hour. Questions about Unified Sports can be directed to Jenny Larson, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation, at (336) 278-7529 or intramurals@elon.edu