Every week on Tuesdays, at Liberty High School, students with and without physical and/or intellectual disabilities participate in the Unified Basketball program.
Unified Basketball is a part of the Special Olympics Unified Program. In typical Special Olympics programs, only those with disabilities compete with each other, whereas in Unified programs, students with disabilities have the opportunity to play with and against students without disabilities.
“Teams are formed to ensure balanced representation, pairing individuals of similar ages and abilities to create meaningful opportunities,” Unified Sports Coordinator Briana Macri said.
Unified Basketball has a reach much farther than the lines of the court: the interactions between students of different abilities help to break down barriers and challenge preconceived notions.
“This inclusive environment reduces stereotypes and promotes understanding, creating a school culture that values diversity and inclusion,” Macri said.
The structure of Unified Basketball also encourages friendships between students that might not have formed otherwise, and like any other sport, it lays the foundations for deep connections and support between players.
“By coaching Special Olympics, I hope to teach students skills that they can carry with them through the rest of their life,” Coach Rob Enghausen said.
Enghausen is not only in his second year of coaching the Unified Basketball team, but he has also been coaching Liberty Football for seven years, and Track and Field for four. Additionally, Enghausen previously coached for the Special Olympics program at Issaquah High, and he himself graduated from Liberty in 1999.
“Special Olympics gives students the ability to continue playing sports in the Special Olympics community for as long as they want, and helps them maintain physical activity as well as strengthen and expand their social circles,” Enghausen said.
Unified Basketball was brought to Liberty by senior Ella Kim as her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
The Gold Award is a take-action initiative project that only about 5% of Girl Scouts get. Scouts focus on an issue in their community they care about, uncover the root cause, and organize a team to carry out a solution.
“I felt as if the students with disabilities didn’t have any extracurriculars where they would be able to spend long periods of time with General Education students,” Kim said.
In bringing Unified Basketball to Liberty, Kim partnered with the Best Buddies organization, which is dedicated to ending social, physical, and economic isolation of people with intellectual developmental disabilities.
Over the course of four months, Kim completed 90 hours of community service and met with various people from Unified Sports programs.
“One of the biggest takeaways from this project is that it benefits more than just one side of Liberty, and I believe it’s made a difference,” Kim said. “Unified Basketball allows exposure to new friendships, and it has made Liberty into a better community.”
“It’s not just about playing a game; it’s about creating a world where differences are celebrated and everyone has the opportunity to belong, contribute, and thrive,” Macri said.
