It’s the first year of the Pioneer Valley High School Unified track and field team that allows students from the high school with disabilities to compete, learn a new sport and, most importantly, have fun.
“It brings up my mood, honestly," Pioneer Valley High School senior Katherine Molina Ramos said. "To see these kids are happy to run and be friends, it's a new experience. It's nice.”
Unified track and field head coach Tara Sanchez and the Pioneer Valley High School track and field head coach Ben Alberry were pushing for a team by the end of last year and got their wish giving student with disabilities the chance to be a part of a team.
“My goal for this is promoting friendships and inclusivity, to see them having fun together, for the partners to be able to teach a sport that they love and for the athletes to be able to learn something new,” Sanchez explained.
In total, there are 21 members of the Unified track and field team. The nine Unified student-athletes are led by Pioneer Valley High School track and field athletes who act as Unified partners, helping lead the Unified athletes in warm-ups, technique and different events.
“They're also looking forward to doing this as well," Ramos explained. "It's helpful in a way, because not only are we helping them, but they're also helping us in a sense. “
Much of practice goes over the basics of how certain events work but for Sanchez, it’s the relationships that make this new program something worth having.
“To me, that's what it's about," said Sanchez. "It is creating these friendships with people that they might not normally connect with.”
Some of the athletes have had a taste of competition with the yearly local Special Olympics events but competing against other high schools has the kids looking forward to their first competition as a Panther.
“They're excited," Sanchez stated. "They can't wait to race. I know, especially the athletes, are pumped on racing."
Their first Unified track and field meet is on March 13 at San Luis Obispo High School. You can follow program updates via its website and Instagram page.
