Back in November 2022, during my sophomore year at Belleville High School, I saw an advertisement in Tiger Ten for a basketball team that brought kids with and without disabilities together. This is known as Unified, which is an organization under the Special Olympics. Seeing as I just tried out for the junior varsity basketball team and didn’t make the cut, I signed up thinking I would go to a practice, shoot around, and not care or play for the team again after. I didn’t know then, but this would be the best decision I made in high school, because it led to some of the best memories I’ve had.
I met three teachers when I went to that practice. The first was very familiar because she talked at the homecoming pep rally and always seemed energetic. Her name was Ms. Sprague, and she was very kind. The second teacher was Mr. Cender, who was tall and funny. Lastly, I met Mrs. Parker, who was fun and sincere, but serious. I also met a lot of kids from the special education department. They were all very cool, and I didn’t expect to be able to get along with them as quickly as I did, but I’m grateful I did because they are some of my best friends now.
Together, Ms. Sprague, Mr. Cender, and Mrs. Parker led us to an amazing first season post COVID with a record of 3-2. We ended the season by participating in a tournament, in which we got second place! This was an extremely fun event, and although our season went through multiple ups and downs, overall things turned out well. After the tournament, we had a banquet to celebrate our season. I received a certificate for playing, and refreshments were provided.
My junior year, and the second year of my playing for the Unified team, was much more fun and memorable than the first season due to my level of participation. Ms. Sprague worked very hard for the team that year, and she was able to get Belleville to be a part of a Unified field day with other schools. During a leadership meeting Ms. Sprague graciously allowed me to participate in, we planned a few different activities and practiced them. We participated in the field day to cap off our season, which ended with a record of 5-2. We held our second banquet to celebrate our team, where I received a certificate for playing and a medal.
My senior year, and final year with the team, was the best of the three. I say that because we had numerous noteworthy events this year. The biggest event was the Polar Plunge that took place on March 6th. This event raised over $15,000 for the Unified department here at BHS and was extremely fun to be a part of. Our first event for us was our Unified basketball game at Little Caesars Arena, which we won with a score of 39 to 27 against Wyandotte/Lincoln Park to bring our season record to 4-3 making it a memorable experience. Ms. Sprague exclaimed, “You helped us out, and we really appreciate you. You were the steady, reliable guy I could count on to help us out when we needed it.” We finished the season 5-3 after one more home game victory!
I learned about the big events in Ms. Sprague’s Peer-to-Peer class, which led me to be more involved this year than in previous ones. I also learned much more about autism and the different ways it may be portrayed. While going over a lesson on presuming competence, the belief that a person could understand and learn regardless of whether they show it or not, I noticed that I had already started to presume competence with a student who was in my class where I was a one-on-one peer. The student and I got along well from when we first met, but over time, we were able to become better friends and form a stronger connection. Ms. Sprague noticed that we were becoming better friends and said to me, “You are doing a great job working with Kyrees. I’ve been told by his teachers that he is a much more effective student when you are there assisting him.” Hearing this made me proud and I wanted to try and do my best to keep him on the right track. Once I graduate, I hope he takes some of what I am trying to teach him and uses it to help him through the rest of high school.
Becoming a part of the Unified team here at BHS was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I am forever grateful for every opportunity I was provided, every bond that I’ve formed, and every memory that I’ve made. Additionally, I have learned so much about others, myself, and have gained new skills that will help me forge a successful future for myself. As a freshman, I was convinced there would be nothing about school I would miss or want to be a part of again, but now, with only a few days left in my high school career, I can confidently say that I was wrong. I’m going to miss every single student, teacher, and staff member I met through the Unified team, as well as the program itself. Thank you BHS Unified!
-Donavin Crowder.
