Winning championships and making game-winning plays is probably what most people picture when defining an all-star athlete. It’s a walk-off homerun or a buzzer-beating basket to win a championship that fans admire most about athletes.
But on Saturday, 21 students from West Woods Upper Elementary School, along with nearly 200 other athletes from 14 schools, redefined superstar at the Unified Elementary Sports Skills Day, hosted by Glastonbury High School.
Exhibiting teamwork, friendship and courage to challenge one’s own limits, athletes with varying special needs and their partners put on an all-star performance at the event sponsored jointly by the CIAC and Special Olympics.
Athletes showed off their skills in six different sports (baseball, basketball, bowling, soccer, track and field, and volleyball), and were provided instruction from Glastonbury High School varsity athletes.
If a score had been kept for smiles created, the day was a blowout victory for all.
“It’s just amazing what kids can do to help other kids when they are given the opportunity,” said Andy Bean, a co-coach of the West Woods team. “Everyone had a ball.”
The West Woods Unified Sports club meets weekly with the goal of providing all students with an opportunity to participate in sports and to build friendships with peers. While West Woods has sponsored a team for five years, this is the first year the students have taken their skills on the road.
Janet Roman, a special education teacher at West Woods, co-coaches the team with Bean, who is a sixth grade teacher. Roman is credited with creating a culture of inclusion throughout the Farmington schools, previously coaching unified teams at the high school and middle school, programs that still exist today.
Submitted by Unified Sports Team (Andy Bean).
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
