Medway High School Hosts 2nd Annual Unified Basketball Bash

The Medway High School Unified Basketball team and community partners participated in the second annual Unified Basketball Bash on Nov. 25. (Photo courtesy Medway Public Schools)

Medway School Superintendent Armand Pires and Principal John Murray have shared that the Medway High School (MHS) Unified Basketball team held its second annual Unified Basketball Bash on Nov. 25.

The Unified Sports program in Massachusetts, run by Special Olympics Massachusetts in partnership with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, allows students with disabilities the opportunity to play high school sports alongside their peers in a fun and supportive environment.

As part of the program, student-athletes with disabilities are paired with students without disabilities, and players work together as a cohesive team.

Throughout the season, the Medway Unified Basketball team practiced twice weekly and played against other Unified teams in the Tri-Valley league.

The team was led by head coach Katy Golden, a former collegiate basketball player at Assumption College and special education teacher at MHS, assisted by ACCEPT Collaborative special education teacher Brittany Boudreau.

The Medway Unified Basketball team, which consists of three Unified athletes and nine partners, played a series of six mini-games at the Basketball Bash on Nov. 25, against a team of MHS faculty and staff, a team of varsity basketball players, and a team of first responders from Medway’s police and fire departments.

The MHS Cheer team energized the crowd while MHS Assistant Principal Ryan Augusta refereed the games, and MHS senior Mason Diaz was the guest announcer.

The day concluded with a ceremony recognizing the senior players of the Unified team.

"The Unified Basketball season, capped by a celebratory Bash honoring the team's efforts, illustrates the power of sports to unite our students and highlights our amazing community support," Superintendent Pires said. "It was incredible to witness the sportsmanship and bonds that have developed throughout this program."

"It was an exciting day of friendly competition and camaraderie, and we greatly look forward to continuing this opportunity for our students to work together while having fun," Principal Murray said. "The Unified Basketball season is a source of pride here at Medway High School, and I want to thank all of our volunteers for making this event so special."