Unified basketball season ends on positive note

Disneyland bills itself as "the happiest place on Earth," but on Saturday, Feb. 26, it had competition for that title from Niwot High School, where the St. Vrain Valley unified basketball teams came together to celebrate eight weeks of hard work, camaraderie and mastering new skills. In the 2022 season finale, each of the eight district teams competed in a two-game tournament, and while there probably was a winner, everyone was having too much fun to pay much attention to the final results. Afterwards, each participant was individually recognized, and then everyone gathered for a group photograph, putting a cap on a day that one athlete called "awesome."

"I'm happy to be back at my old high school," Niwot 2021 graduate Michael "Misha" Barrett said following his game as a helper with the Main Street School program. "I'm still a Cougar, so I want to give big applause to the Cougars for their hard work over the season. I know they don't have me, but they are a good team and I hope they keep it up."

It was the first-ever season for the Niwot unified basketball program, and, by all accounts, a highly successful one. Coached by special education teachers Amy Holle and Dawn Zwisler, the unified Cougar squad featured eight athletes from the school's severe needs class and 12 unified student "partners" or "mentors" without intellectual disabilities. The team made its competitive debut in a well-attended home game against Main Street on Jan. 11, and continued to draw robust support from both Niwot students and staff throughout the season.

For Holle and Zwisler, watching their students blossom on and off the court has been "outstanding to watch." All but one of their students was able to participate in the Special-Olympics-based program, and both teachers have seen growth not just in their athletic skills, but also in decision-making and cooperation.

"It was amazing to even see our kids just have the wherewithal to not just always take the shot, but to pass it up," Zwisler said. "Their teamwork was amazing by the end."

That has carried over to both the classroom and other areas of the school, where the special education students don't have much "visibility," Holle said. Now, they have a connection through the partners, and are more likely to see a friendly face in the hallways of Niwot High.

"They're saying 'hi' to people they've never said 'hi' to before," she continued. "Even within my classroom, I've got kids helping other kids, where maybe they wouldn't have thought to do that before."

But even unified sports has its share of frustrations, and the athletes have their share of off days. For Holle, that's sometimes even a better lesson than good days on the court.

"It has its ups and downs, but it's such a good opportunity to mirror real life," she said. "We just try to spin it positively. If you miss your shot, maybe you'll make your shot the next day."

Both coaches were thankful for the overwhelming support from the Niwot community, and said they were "blessed" to have athletic and activities director Joe Brown spearheading the program. Last fall, Niwot introduced unified bowling, and the administration is considering further opportunities. Elsewhere in St. Vrain Schools, there are also unified programs for band, and, statewide, there are unified soccer, track, wrestling, and swim programs. In May, the district will celebrate its 2nd annual Day of Champions to recognize all unified athletes.

"We're building the tradition," Holle said. "We're getting off the ground, and I think it was a really awesome inaugural year."