“It takes a player to shoot a shot. But it takes a team to win a game.”
On October 10, 2019, The Silver Medal Winning Special Olympics USA Men’s Basketball Team came to Worcester Technical High School to practice with our Eagles Unified Basketball Team. These amazing guests participated in the Special Olympics World Games held March 14-21 in Abu Dhabi, and proudly brought home the Silver Medal after losing a close match in the final game to Great Britain, 26-20. They are from nearby Shrewsbury, MA and are incredible role models for our high school players.
According to Ms. Abby Connors, head coach of Unified Basketball at Worcester Tech, “Unified basketball is bringing together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities. It is a part of the Massachusetts Special Olympic organization.” Unified Basketball is a great way to bring kids together to form a family with other team members. Tech’s team has 13 athletes and 7 partners who are involved with Unified Basketball.
Our team’s starting players go by the nickname, “The Fab 5.,” and are coming off of a 7-0 season last year. Michael is a forward and a senior on the team. Aeneas is our point guard, and a junior on the team. Nayeli is also a senior, who plays as a guard. James is a senior, also playing a guard, and last but not least there’s Tony, a senior, who plays forward.
At practice with the silver medal team, our Unified team played like a family, and they all had each other’s backs while showing off their skills on the court. The excitement in the gym was palpable as our Unified team got to try on the silver medals brought by the Special Olympians. A fun time was had by all, and it was an incredible experience for all of the players.