Unified Sports Team Honors Life of Alumnus, Friend

More than 30 alumni of the Farmington/Avon Unified Sports team returned to the court Thursday night to enjoy the sweetness of playing together and to remember a young man said to embody the spirit of Unified Sports.

Kevin Putney, a 2009 graduate of Farmington High School, was an integral part of the Unified Sports team, which pairs special needs athletes with warm-hearted peers like Kevin in athletics.

He went on to study computer engineering and mathematics at Vanderbilt University but died unexpectedly on March 29, 2011, leaving teammates searching for a way to come together and celebrate his life.

Marney Pollack, a 2010 Farmington graduate, worked with Coach Robert Deasy in planning the Kevin Putney Memorial Alumni Basketball Game, held during halftime of the Farmington High School Girls Varsity game.

First, Deasy took the court to speak a word about Kevin, then introduced his parents, Lisa and Alan Putney and his brother David. Pollack presented them with a bouquet before the alumni teams took the court for a short game.

“He was a best friend to all,” Pollack said of Kevin. “A mean word never came out of his mouth in his life. He celebrated everyone’s abilities and didn’t focus on their disabilities. That’s the definition of what Unified Sports is about and he embodied those values.”

During his three years on the team, Kevin was a leader, Deasy said and a friend. Kevin won a statewide essay competition about his experience in Unified Sports in 2008.

“He had a remarkable ability to seek out those special needs students who needed an extra hug or an extra set of instructions. He was just wonderful with our special needs students and a wonderful role model for our regular ed students, called special partners,” he said.

Kevin also loved Unified Sports, Lisa Putney, his mother, said and often came home with stories of his friends.

“He really felt it was his way of giving back and helping people in a way that wasn’t really competitive,” Lisa Putney said. “He had very good friends.”

Dean Steafanski, a 2008 Avon special athlete, was a close friend who attended the game.

And the stands in the gym were filled with more of Kevin’s friends, fellow graduates from the Class of 2009.

“They came to support us,” Putney said. “It’s been a wonderful gift.”

Kevin’s parents were honored when Coach Deasy approached them for permission to hold the game in his honor. The team also collected nonperishable food items in lieu of admission to be donated to the Farmington Food Pantry.

In remarks given at Kevin's memorial service, Deasy said, "Special doesn’t even begin to describe what Kevin meant to our FHS Unified Sports program."