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Unified Sports basketball supporters want BPS schools to participate in season

Buffalo News - 5/5/2021

May 5—Lamar Washington is a City Honors graduate with autism, who took time out of his schedule Tuesday afternoon to show his support of Unified Sports basketball within the Buffalo Public Schools at a rally near his alma mater.

"I made a lot of new friends playing basketball," he said. "I feel it's just an important thing for people to have."

Washington, who participated in the program as a sophomore and junior but was denied a third season due to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, isn't the only person sticking up for Unified Sports basketball in the city.

Numerous participants, coaches, parents and special education teachers were among the people who showed up at a rally at Masten Park to inform folks they are upset with a decision by BPS district officials to not offer Unified Sports basketball this spring.

Unified Sports is a program that promotes social inclusion for disabled and healthy school-aged students of similar ages through athletics. The program is part of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics.

Buffalo has three such teams: City Honors, Olmsted and Hutch-Tech.

In a letter sent to the Unified Sports community obtained by The News, the district informed supporters it is disappointed for being unable to offer the program this spring.

The letter signed by Assistant Superintendent of Health/Physical Education and Athletic Cecelie Owens, Director of Athletics Michael House and Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Kim Hoelscher also states: "While we will not be offering Unified Sports at this time, we look forward to planning with the community and stakeholders in the near future to launch a top notch and expanded BPS Unified Sports program for next year and beyond.

"There have been many challenges as we reopen schools. The athletic department faces our own set of challenges such as transportation, sharing of facilities and minimizing risk of Covid spread. As a department we are employing the same phased-in systematic and disciplined approach to reopening sports as the district is using to safely return students. Varsity sports are the first phase of the return of sports. Junior varsity, Unified Varsity and modified sports will follow next year."

The district's approach is not sitting well with anyone in the Unified community — including Edward Speidel, a parent of a special needs student at Olmsted and one of the organizers of Tuesday's rally. Nor are those plans sitting well with special education teacher Lisa Laske of Olmsted and program coaches and special-ed teachers Jamie Keller and Emily Frischholz of City Honors.

One of the reasons is because other school districts outside the city are offering Unified Sports basketball this spring. The other is because Buffalo Schools offered varsity boys and girls basketball during the winter. It is currently participating in Fall 2 sports season for football and volleyball. It plans to participate in varsity spring sports, which began practicing Monday, and whose season runs through late June.

The fact the district participated in basketball season is the crux of the Unified Sports community's argument. Washington, Speidel, Laske and company believe it should be able to do the same for the Unified athletes. It's an equality issue.

"This is the right thing to do for the children," Speidel said. "We think it's only fair. They allowed" the non-special education students "to play, why not the special education kids?"

"They feel part of the school, it builds their confidence, and it builds their skills, their socialization," Laske said of the impact of participating in unified sports. "Because my kids (I teach) have autism, it just boosts their confidence tremendously."

Laske created an online petition in support of having a unified basketball season this spring. More than 1,100 people have signed it since it hit the web several days ago.

In case that wasn't enough to get folks' attention, there was Tuesday's gathering on the damp basketball courts between City Honors and Johnnie B. Wiley Stadium. Toward the end of the rally, a few kids in the program stuck around to shoot some hoops before those still in attendance.

They hope it's not the only time they get to play this season.

"I feel it's just an important thing for people to have," Washington said. "I saw a lot of new people come in and try the sport and I saw the growth of it."

Olmsted senior Nassar Bailey said his experiences playing Unified basketball in the spring and Unified bowling (a winter sport) have changed his life.

"I play with so many other kids like me," he said. "It's something special. It's something that gives kids a chance to play just like a varsity or JV team. ... It's been the best years of my life."

It's uncertain whether Tuesday's rally will change the district's mind. Supporters do have a powerful ally in Board of Education President Sharon Belton-Cottman.

On Tuesday, she told the News that the board will address this issue during a committee meeting Wednesday.

"We have board members who are in favor of seeing it move forward this year," Belton-Cottman said. "I know I'm in favor of it. We want to make sure equity occurs."

Laske said explaining the situation to her students has been a challenge. They understand what's right and wrong, she said. Laske does have a message for officials.

"One of the classroom rules is you make a mistake, fix it and move on," she said. "Please fix it so that our students can participate."

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