ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A new type of track team has emerged at William Allen and Emmaus high schools.
Unified track and field teams at William Allen High, Emmaus High School and Pocono Mountain High competed Friday at J. Birney Crum Stadium at Allentown School District's first-ever meet for the just-added team.
- Unified Track and Field teams at William Allen and Emmaus high schools competed Friday with Pocono Mountain for the first unified meet held in the county
- Unified programs let students with and without intellectual disabilities compete in teams of roughly equal numbers with the goal of forming relationships and connecting students in new, inclusive ways to the school
- Both high schools formed their programs this year and hope to see programs like them grow
Unified sports bring together teams of roughly equal numbers of those with and without intellectual disabilities. Teams competed in individual races, field events such as mini-javelin and long jump, and 100- and 400-meter relay races.
Emmaus' Unified team's Coach Linda Gitsky, an autistic support teacher at the school, said that throughout the season, and now as they start to attend meets and prepare to hold their own, she has seen friendships and bonding between students.
"The best part is that doesn't matter when they're out here. That kind of all goes away."Linda Gitsky, Emmaus Unified Team coach
Because of students having or lacking disabilities, that otherwise might not have happened, Gitsky said.
"The best part is that doesn't matter when they're out here," she said. "That kind of all goes away."
Special Olympics reached out to Gitsky about the opportunity last year, and she was able to gather students needed for an initial team.
"There's not many in our area that have done it yet," Gitsky said. "I'm hoping a lot more will start following suit so we can have closer meets."
She said it's exciting to be piloting the idea for the area alongside William Allen, hoping that now that the team is established and more will become aware of it, it will only grow in the future.
Students missing the deadline for this year's team already have voiced interest for next year, she said.
Forging new connections
William Allen Coach Samantha Rerig said there have been talks for some years, but she and others brought it to life this year, hoping to bring in the kids who might not have a traditional experience in athletics and to be more inclusive.
"It's great for our kids to be able to participate in sports and have that feeling of really belonging to the school," Rerig said.
"They're all very proud of it. They're all very happy to be part of this team. It's something that they talk about. They were all excited. They wore their uniforms around school today."Samantha Rerig, William Allen coach
"It's great for our partners to be able to be with our kids and get to know them on a different level, and it's great for me, as a teacher. I love being able to be with them outside of the classroom environment and see them in a different way, interact with them in different way and have a really good time."
She said team member practice at the same time as the main varsity track and field team, who have been very welcoming and supportive to them.
Some even have volunteered their time Friday at the event and cheering on the competitors. Both William Allen and Emmaus practice typically twice a week in preparation for the meets.
Rerig said that as the meet approached, the anticipation grew among the athletes for their first opportunity.
"They're all very proud of it," Rerig said. "They're all very happy to be part of this team. It's something that they talk about. They were all excited. They wore their uniforms around school today."
"I think it just makes them feel like they're even more part of the school community than they already are."
'Just cheering each other on'
A lot of the students without disabilities at both Emmaus and William Allen sought involvement with something after school without the same pressure of the typical varsity team, she said.
And also to make friends and give time to what they saw as a good cause.
"It's just like a ton of people with different backgrounds, and it felt very comfortable because I felt like nobody was judging," Vivienne Pinocci-Wrightsman, who also plays soccer at Emmaus, said about attending meets.
"It was just really fun, even with other schools just cheering other people on."
Lia Sampson said, "Usually when I run ... I've been very flimsy when I run. I end up tripping. It makes me feel happy knowing that they won't judge what I've been through a lot with my disability."
"In school, you would never meet these kinds of people, and it's just really unique just to start to make bonds with each other."Athlete Hannah Horvath
During their practice Wednesday, Emmaus students in the program of all ability levels were cheering for each other the whole time, and did so again at Friday's meet.
"In school, you would never meet these kinds of people, and it's just really unique just to start to make bonds with each other," athlete Hannah Horvath said.
"And it's really fun, because they're not that much different from us. I think it's just really interesting to see all those perspectives, and then just get to talk with them and get to know them. Because they are just normal people."
A Growing Program
Unified Sports in Pennsylvania is an effort in partnership with Special Olympics, bringing people with and without intellectual disabilities together onto the same team in roughly equal numbers.
That was seen in the teams participating Friday.
"Not only do the players all have fun, but attitude change and transformation happens on the playing field and the experiences create lifelong friendships."Special Olympics Pennsylvania website
"Not only do the players all have fun, but attitude change and transformation happens on the playing field and the experiences create lifelong friendships," Special Olympics Pennsylvania states on its website.
The organization says it now works with more than 350 schools throughout Pennsylvania to provide interscholastic unified sports, with the stated goal to have high schools throughout the state offer opportunities in at least two unified sports throughout the school year.
Special Olympics also partners with PIAA for postseason opportunities for the sports.
In addition to unified track and field, there also are schools that compete and practice in bocce and soccer, though the latter is currently just in Philadelphia.
Outside of Pennsylvania, bowlingand other sports have been offered.
'That says it all'
William Allen and Emmaus currently are the only unified track and field teams in Lehigh County. But there's hope for growth among coaches now that Emmaus and William Allen have hit the starting gun for their programs.
"It's been a lot of new for us — coaches, myself, facilities, workers," William Allen Athletic Director Randy Atiyeh said. "Everybody's kind of, like, 'We're not totally sure what to do, because it's our first year,' but we've just been rolling with the punches.
"At the end of the day, we know what the end goal in mind is, and it's for these kids that have a great opportunity, to be involved in a team and be part of something. And we know, eventually, it'll just work out."
"Being on the team is really fun because you can see like that you're not the only person with the disability.Emmaus runner Jaclyn Chiego
Emmaus runner Jaclyn Chiego said "being on the team is really fun because you can see like that you're not the only person with the disability.
"The program is great, and it's just amazing to see how more it will grow."
While there was a score being kept (Emmaus took it home with 103.33 points, with William Allen closely following with 102.5 and Pocono Mountain not too far behind at 95), that was not what mattered to the teens competing.
Traci Huddleson, a unified school manager for Special Olympics Pennsylvania present at Friday's meet, emphasized the opportunities at programs such as those competing being seen at more schools each year throughout the state.
"One, to represent their school in a varsity program, but two, would they ever have been friends if they had not had this opportunity together?" Huddleson said as crowds cheered relay finishers.
"Just to hear the crowd right there right? That says it all."
