Sehome Unified sports program forges a legacy of inclusivity in culture and the community. The program has established an environment that provides access to competitive sports, while still creating bonds, empathy and understanding within sports.
“It makes it clear within the school context that people with disabilities are as much a part of the community as anyone else,” said Don Helling, coach of Sehome's Unified Soccer team. “They just need to be given the opportunity to participate in the community at the level that they're able to.”
In the program, the athletes are people with forms of communication and learning disabilities. Additionally, there are athletes with strong experience with the sport or some with none at all.
“What's so unique about unified is the pairing,” said Sheryl Kent, parent of Kai Borton, a senior in Sehome’s Unified program.
Helpers, able-bodied members of the team, are at every practice and game, playing with the athletes to maintain the team's inclusive atmosphere and make certain every athlete leaves a game with a positive experience. That could be anything from setting up a goal for a player on either team or having an athlete switch teams so they have more opportunities to play, Hellings said.
“My favorite part, I think, is the relationships I've made,” Emma Jenkins, a helper on Sehome’s Unified Sports program. “The fact that someone trusts me to be their friend, learn from me and I can support them is really meaningful to me.”
Jenkins has been a helper for soccer and basketball since her sophomore year. As a helper, the goal is to foster sportsmanship within the team, rather than focusing on winning. She has also been a cheerleader since her freshman year, where she has had the opportunity to cheer for Unified Basketball, Jenkins said.
On Oct. 16, Sehome Unified Soccer participated in its latest game. Unified Soccer teams from across the county came together to play during halftime of the Western women's soccer game on Robert S. Harrington Field.
Although Unified's Soccer season is in the spring, Bellingham schools had an unexpected opportunity to bring out some of their players from the previous season to join the event.
In practice and when playing against another team, Unified Soccer makes sure all the players can participate at the level they’re able to, Helling said.
“When you're competing with other schools, you try your best to win and to do your best, but you don't do it at the expense of the other team missing opportunities to play,” Helling said.
Kent’s son, Kai Borton, is a senior at Sehome High School and has been participating in Unified Sports, varsity sports and Special Olympics since he was in elementary school.
This year, Borton is applying to schools across the country with specific programs for people with disabilities. Kent partially credits the program for showing her and her son that it’s an option.
“I think unified sports has played a really big role in opening a lot of eyes, opening my eyes, opening Kai's eyes, opening other people's eyes, even opening his peers' eyes,” Kent said.
The program unifies kids, not only on the field, but also continues that culture in the school, as well as preparing them for when they leave the school environment, said Kent.
“We're able to see that kind of friendship and camaraderie spill out of just the practices and games, but also in the classroom and in the halls,” Hellings said.
Hellings' daughter, Lauren Gongwer, has been participating in Unified Sports for seven years. Gongwer participates in Special Olympics, the school's varsity swim team, unified soccer and basketball, Hellings said.
This year, Gongwer started on the varsity cheer team, where she’s learned to do tricks, flying, cheers and high kicks. From her time on cheer and in unified sports, she’s been able to create friendships on and off the field, Gongwer said.
“I do like cheerleading, and also I love hanging with my captain, Emma. She's amazing,” Gongwer said.
The program allows access to competitive sports that the kids wouldn’t have otherwise. In the sports program, the athletes learn what they would in any other varsity sport, but it also emphasizes uplifting one another, which you don’t see often in competitive sports, Helling said.
“The thing that's incredible about Unified is that you walk in there and you're like, ‘oh, my god, I wish this was the way the world was all the time,’” Kent said.
Katherine Konicke-Dunlop (she/her) is a Sports and Recreation reporter for The Front. She is in her second year at Western, majoring in News and Editorial Journalism. Katherine can be spotted out hiking or with her eyes glued to a book in her spare time. You can reach her at katherinekonickedunlop.thefront@gmail.com.
