Recently, Special Olympics Massachusetts presented Milford High School with a national banner of recognition for its achievements in providing inclusive sports and activities for students with and without intellectual disabilities.

Milford High School is now considered a Special Olympics Unified Champion School. According to the Special Olympics website, a national banner school is described as having an “inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body.”

Milford High School encourages students to get involved in unified athletic and social activities such as Best Buddies, a club that organizes dances, movie nights, and outings, as well as unified sports like basketball, track, swim, and wrestling. Students at Milford High School should be proud to receive this honor because it recognizes that we have a school community that values all students and promotes friendship and acceptance.

I talked with Mr. Gordon, MHS English teacher and unified track coach, about the value of these programs. “ It’s so cool to interact with students that I wouldn’t normally interact with, and I think that everybody benefits from unified programs like these” said Mr. Gordon.

I also spoke with Eva Parson, a sophomore at MHS who is involved in unified swim and the Best Buddies program. “I loved being a part of the Special Olympic swim. It was such a fun experience and a great way to make new friends. It felt so good to include everyone and share my love with swimming with kids who I had never met before” said Parson.

I also talked with unified sports athlete, JP. JP participates in unified basketball, track and field, bowling, soccer, and swimming. He said that his favorite sport is basketball, where he is able to help out on offense every chance he gets. He also says that he enjoys “getting together with friends, making new friends, and playing the sports we love.”

As you can see, there are so many opportunities to get involved in unified activities, and everybody benefits from fun experiences and rewarding connections with our classmates of all abilities. If you would like to learn more and become involved in a unified sports programs, please contact Mrs. Forgit or Mrs. Walsh.