Special Olympics Alberta and ASAA finish Unified Sports season with Basketball Jamboree

Alberta’s Unified Sports season wrapped up this past Friday in Calgary as three area high schools hit the court for a thrilling basketball jamboree.

“We’re so excited by the response we’ve been getting,” said Shanna Kurylo, program coordinator of Unified Sports with Alberta Schools’ Athletics Association (ASAA). “Everyone has been so receptive to the program, and the students absolutely love it.”

The Unified Sports campaign was created with the goal of bringing people with and without intellectual disabilities together through the power of sport. The campaign has been an instant success here in Alberta, but its success reaches far beyond our provincial borders.

“Last week we exceeded our goal of more than 1 million unified teammates worldwide!” exclaimed Kurylo. “I’m so happy to be a part of this program and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow over the years to come.”

Dozens of students from Lester B. Pearson, Bishop McNally, and Bert Church High School made their way to the University of Calgary’s Kinesiology Complex for a rousing five-on-five basketball tournament Friday. The competition was fierce, as students blazed up and down the court while fans cheered and screamed from the stands.

When all was said and done, the Bert Church Chargers stood victorious after narrowly beating out the Pearson Patriots in the final game.

Ian Ferguson, teacher and coach at Bert Church High School in Airdrie, couldn’t say enough about the basketball jamboree.

“I thought it was awesome,” he said. “It was a massive amount of fun for all of the kids involved. Everybody had a great time today.”

Ferguson discovered the Unified Sports program through the ASAA website and said he immediately wanted to put a team together. He and a fellow teacher quickly put together a squad of athletes and began practicing for Friday’s event.

“The opportunity for some of our basketball athletes to get to know some of the other kids in our building was one of the biggest things I am happy about,” he said. “The relationship that was built between all of the players on our team was just fantastic. They see each other in the halls and say ‘hi’ all the time. They’ve developed a relationship they probably wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Morgan Fraser, athletic director at Lester B. Pearson High School in Calgary, agreed with Ferguson, saying all of the students who participated in the day’s event were winners.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “To see where our students started at and where they are now is unbelievable. The kids are extremely excited.”

Fraser said the inclusive aspect of this program is what’s really drawing students in. He said that while the educational world is fully embracing the idea of inclusion, segregation does still occur, but through sports, students with and without intellectual disabilities are able to come together and play unified.

“They love it because they get to meet kids that they don’t generally interact with, and having that relationship with the partners and athletes involved has been incredibly positive for them,” he said. “This is something we’re going to be doing from now on. I think it’s going to catch on and next year you’re going to see an even bigger turnout.”

Kurylo echoed Fraser’s sentiments about the program’s continued growth. She said she is already looking for ways to expand the program next season, with the possibility of additional sports, more students, and bigger events.

“I’m really excited for what the future holds and I can’t wait to get next season’s campaign underway.”

For more information on the Unified Sports program, visit the Special Olympics Unified Sports website. You can also check out more Unified Sports pictures through our Edmonton Unified Sports Basketball Jamboree album on Facebook and Flickr, and our Unified Sports Track Event album on Facebook and Flickr.