Finding a high school sport that isn’t all about winning or spending every day practicing can be difficult. Let’s face it, does just having fun and enjoying playing the game with your teammates not matter anymore in sports?

As a young elementary school student, I always aspired to play high school basketball or baseball, but once I got into middle I realized that probably wouldn’t work out. I felt it would be too stressful for me to be attending practice every day for at least two hours at a time and to have all the pressure of performing at a high level on the field or court.

I was later reminded by mom at the start of my freshman year about Unified Basketball. I had heard about it during my eighth grade year from a teacher of mine, but I had forgotten about it. However, I really liked the idea of having the opportunity to work with students who struggle with a cognitive or physical disability. So, that January I started Unified Basketball.

I’ve learned a lot of things since the day I stepped out on the court, both about being a partner and being involved in the Unified community. The one thing I’ve learned that stands out to me the most is how we treat and equally talk to individuals with disabilities the same way you would talk to someone who doesn’t struggle with one.

It’s extremely important not just for our Unified partners or Rocky community, but for our community to understand how to interact with every person you meet, regardless if they’re different than you in any way. I also learned what it means to fulfill your role as a partner. What I mean by that is, you don’t have to be a five-star athlete to be part of the Unified Team. It’s way more important to have skills such as being a good communicator, understanding and working well with others, and having the ability to build relationships with one another.

The thing to remember is, Unified is about the spirit of the game, not the final score. We may all play for slightly different reasons, but no matter what, we’re all on the same team.