The gun goes off for a traditional Special Olympics race and everyone cheers the athletes on as they sprint for the finish line. When the same gun goes off for a Unified race, the crowd tears up as the athletes and their partners race for the finish line together. That same gun goes off once more, for an Interscholastic Unified race and partners cross the finish line before athletes as athletes cross before partners. 

Wait, what? How can this be right? This isn’t unified! They’re supposed to be together in this! Is this even fair? They’re stealing the spotlight! Many spectators may have had these same thoughts as the Interscholastic Unified events continued to unfold. Is this really what’s best for the athletes? Yes, it absolutely is. I challenge you to look deeper with me at what is truly going on in this division.

As Special Olympic coaches, we train our athletes to be competitors. They follow rules, practice for weeks for each event and are held accountable on and off the playing field. They are legitimate athletes, in every sense of the word, regardless of their abilities. Their Unified partners are no different. They, too, have rules, train alongside them and are legitimate athletes. Under Interscholastic Unified, together, they form a team – a competitive team sanctioned by the UIL. Iron sharpening iron. Their job is to compete their hearts out for each other, to honor their partnership by performing to the best of their abilities. This is true unity, inclusion and respect. It is not about one dulling their sparkle to give the other more shine, rather, it is about both competitors shining together, contributing to the team in their own right.

As legitimate competitors, they know that there is a winner and loser in any competition. These teams sign up to compete anyway. They train to do their best and try to win. True competitors do not want victories handed to them, they want to earn them. Interscholastic Unified track and field is about earning it – every step, throw and jump of the way. The only way for them to earn it is to push each other to be the best they can be; for both athlete and partner to leave it all on the track, in the ring, in the pit.

Are traditional Special Olympics and Unified competitions going away? No, never. Each division serves its own unique purpose for various levels of athletes and partners. Interscholastic Unified is a new, additional division for those athletes and partners who desire to take it just one more step further in search of their competitive greatness. This new division will no doubt push teams to new heights and give competitors of all abilities the legitimacy and validity that they have always deserved. Stay tuned…you’re not going to want to miss this.

 By Kami Dodds, Head Coach/Head of Delegation for the Eula Pirates