Unified Sports Program Thriving at Enfield High School

Thanks to the tireless efforts of founder Shelley Hansen, the Unified Sports program at Enfield High School has been thriving for more than 15 years. When she retires at the end of this school year, Hansen said she expects the program to continue to prosper.

Unified Sports, under the auspices of Special Olympics, brings together students with intellectual disabilities (athletes) and those without intellectual disabilities (partners) in a sports setting.

Hansen initiated the program when she started teaching in Enfield.

"I live in Simsbury and they have a Unified Sports program there that my kids were involved in," Hansen said in a recent interview. "When I came here 16 years ago, they didn't have one, and I had to jump through major hoops because they had no idea what Unified Sports was. We started off with basketball and the kids absolutely loved it, and it grew from there."

The recently-concluded basketball season consisted of one practice per week for eight weeks, followed by a tournament at the New Haven Athletic Center. After a short break, the volleyball program will commence in the spring.

Hansen said principal Tom Duffy has actively supported the program. "Tom came to the volleyball tournament last year at Bacon Academy in Colchester, and was kind of taken aback at what they can do," she said.

"Unified is a sports program in the pure sense, participation for the fun of participating," Duffy said. "Shelley Hansen has, out of the goodness of her heart, provided the time, the direction, the energy and the commitment with no salary and no glory. It's one of the most valuable programs we have at our school."

A modest Hansen was quick to deflect credit for the program's success to the volunteers who help out.

Students Nick Orefice and Tyler Brennan took on the responsibility of coaching the athletes this winter.

"I like helping people, so I said I'd love to help out," Orefice said. "I started out working with two kids, but by the end I was working with everybody. I think the special education teachers are under-rewarded, and what they do is overlooked. I'm grateful for the thanks I got, but I think they deserve it more."

"This is the first year in a long time that we've been able to have a program that was really run by kids," Hansen said. "The greatest thing is when I can step back and say go ahead, and that's what happened this year. Nick Orefice and Tyler Brennan are amazing; their hearts and souls are in it. Sometimes kids participate and they don't necessarily want their friends to know about it, but Tyler and Nick were so proud they were talking about it, which was eye-opening for the other kids."

About nine athletes currently participate in Enfield's program, aided by Hansen, fellow teacher Melanie McCann, the student coaches and other students who volunteer to partner with the athletes. Hansen said about 12 students offered to work with the athletes this year.

Several athletes interviewed recently said they thoroughly enjoy participating in the various sports offered by the program.

Lacey Eaton, a senior, has been involved all four years at the school. "I like doing different sports," she said. "My favorite is soccer and I just did my first year of basketball. The most exciting thing is to help people out."

Freshman Damar Velazquez said his favorite sport is football, though it is not offered by the program. "I like running and playing basketball, shooting most of the time," he said. "I run pretty fast."

McCann said she plans to continue the program, but admitted it will be hard to fill Hansen's shoes.

She may not have to fill them completely, at least for a while, according to Hansen.

"This is the hardest thing to let go of, so if I'm not doing anything, I may come back and volunteer," she said.

Unified Sports is an acronym:

United in spirit
Never doubt your ability
I can make a difference
Fight for a common goal
I am proud of myself
Everyone can succeed at something
Different people are still people

Success can be measured by a smile
Play as hard as you can
One heart supporting another
Rise above the ordinary
Teamwork brings us together
Special people make other people feel special