Broadview named Unified Middle School of the Year

 

Broadview Middle School was named the Unified Sports Michael’s Cup Middle School of the Year and will be honored at April 24 ceremony.

The award recognizes middle and high school students of all abilities who exemplify sportsmanship, enthusiasm and teamwork as participants in Special Olympics Unified Sports.

According to its website, “Unified Sports® is a registered program of Special Olympics. It is a program that combines approximately equal numbers of athletes with and without an intellectual disability on sports teams for training and competition. All Unified Sports® players, both athletes and Unified partners, are of similar age and matched by sport skill ability. Unified Sports® teams are placed in competitive divisions based on their skill abilities, ranging from training divisions (focused on skill-learning) to high-level competition.” In 1992, Special Olympics Connecticut together with the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference worked to bring the program to public and parochial schools throughout the state.

Christine Miller, a social skills counselor at Broadview, is being recognized as Unified Middle School Coach of the Year.

Broadview has participated in the program for the past 17 years, growing to be a model of inclusion for students of all abilities and from every race, religion, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and cultural background and experience.

“I am extremely proud of this program,” said Broadview principal Edie Thomas. “The uniqueness of our Broadview community is the acceptance this program promotes. Our students as athletes partners with our special needs students for training and competition.”

The Unified team, made up of 50 students, meets once a week. The students participate in three sports throughout the year; in the sports “off time,” the group hold “Fun Club,” in which students play sports and games.

“True friendships are built here,” said Miller, who runs the program at the school with William Herzog. “If you are someone who can help, then help. If you need help, we’ll be there.”

Because the team can only accommodate 50 students after school, the program has expanded into Broadview United, which includes Unified Sports, Leadership, Social Skills, and Service to the Community. The Leadership Council consists of students promoting kindness and inclusion in the school.

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Submitted by Danbury, CT

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