Isla Roen, Reporter
Photo by Priscilla Schulz
Sports at NCHS are often high pressure, high intensity programs created to produce top athletes. While these teams are well regarded throughout the state, some students are looking for sports that are designed for athletes of all levels.
Unified Sports is a club for NCHS students that meets every Monday after school. It is a spinoff of the original Gym Buddies class, a physical education class that combines students of all abilities to work together and have fun.
Athletes in Unified Sports have participated in a variety of sports throughout the years. “This year, the kids all seem to like basketball the best,” said Priscilla Schulz, a gym teacher at NCHS and founder of the club. Keeping these interests in mind, Unified Sports has directed its focus to participating in basketball games.
Unified Sports was created by Ms. Schulz years ago and has become a popular after-school activity for students across every grade. “Anybody can join Unified Sports,” she said. “With traditional sports teams in New Canaan, there’s a tryout process and only the best make the team. Here, it doesn’t matter what your ability is. Everybody is encouraged to go out and have fun, regardless of skill level.”
Contributed by Priscilla Schulz
Creating a space where everyone is welcome has many benefits. “The athletes are really just going out there and having fun with each other,” Ms. Schulz said. “They’re making new friends within the high school, and they’re also making friends with athletes and partners from schools all over the FCIAC.”
Practices are attended by athletes of all abilities and focus on preparation for the basketball games. “The emphasis is placed on the athletes,” Ms. Schulz said. “They do most of the basketball shooting — and the partners are there to help facilitate movement, support them and make sure everyone gets involved.” Some partners are also members of the NCHS Basketball team.
Fairfield County is home to many athletic clubs similar to Unified Sports, and was the original inspiration for the team at NCHS. “There were teams that had started around Fairfield County and the state of Connecticut,” Ms. Schulz said. “I saw that and said, ‘Let’s see if we can make that work here.’ As soon as I opened it up to everybody, we had a ton of interest from students of all abilities.”
A large portion of the practices are also spent playing games. “It doesn’t matter how many people are there — everyone gets equal playing time. And again, it’s just about fun,” Ms. Schulz said. “Every practice is ended with a ‘Go Rams!’”
The team participated in their first game of the season against Darien High School on December 17th, and they will continue to travel around the FCIAC as well as host games in the NCHS Auxiliary Gym throughout the remainder of the year.
