Maddy Bennett
This fall, Frontier Regional High School’s unified basketball team will begin it’s season. Led by Captain Lilah Santos, the Unified Basketball team brings a new idea of inclusion to sports. The Unified Basketball team includes middle and high school students of all genders and abilities. Last year, Frontier also introduced their first boy’s volleyball team. Athletic extracurriculars such as these two teams have been created in recent years, expanding identifying norms in aspiring players.
This is not the first unified team of its kind in Massachusetts. Many other high schools in the area have built Unified Basketball Teams of their own. Last season, teams in the area competed in low-stakes games and jamborees such as their finishing games in Chicopee, MA.
The Frontier team was led by Coach McKenzie Robinson and had a full roster of 15 players. The Unified Basketball Team stands out against other sports programs in the Fall season at Frontier and creates a social and athletic atmosphere for students with intellectual disabilities.
