On weekday afternoons in schools across Oregon, it’s not unusual to find a basketball practice or track meet underway. What stands out about Unified Sports programs is who is participating: students with and without intellectual disabilities, playing, learning, and competing on the same teams.
These programs are made available to students through Special Olympics Oregon, a nonprofit serving athletes with intellectual disabilities across the state. Special Olympics Oregon works in partnership with 160 Oregon schools to determine which sports programs and activities would best suit the needs and interests of the student body. In Unified Champion Schools, students with intellectual disabilities — known as athletes — join students without intellectual disabilities — partners.
While there are multiple ways to participate in Unified Champion Schools, any school that has an official agreement with Special Olympics Oregon is considered a Unified Champion School. These schools may participate in Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership, or Whole School Engagement components.
These components vary from school to school, but the goal remains the same: authentic, student-driven inclusion. Gabby Baker, inclusive youth leadership coordinator for Special Olympics Oregon, explains that the program is “unique to each school, and it’s what the students want there.”
Taylor Strain, director of Unified Champion Schools for Special Olympics Oregon, describes that the organization “works with individuals with intellectual disabilities and provides opportunities for them to practice and train and compete in different sporting events.” Their goal is to ensure that students in Oregon with intellectual disabilities are all given a chance to engage in school events and athletic activities alongside their peers. “We want to provide more inclusive opportunities for everyone, we want to provide opportunities for everyone to play,” says Strain. “Opportunities for individuals to play sports, to practice, to be on a team, to build friendships and bonds.”
For many athletes participating in Unified Sports, the impact of this inclusion is significant in their lives. A unique aspect of Unified programs is that they include all athletes, regardless of ability or experience. Unified programs not only support physical health but also strengthen communication, confidence, and social skills. They offer a chance for students to be recognized for their strengths, not their limitations. Liam Darcy, a high school senior and volunteer partner for Unified Sports, has seen this firsthand: “For a lot of [athletes with intellectual disabilities], their entire lives, they’ve been treated differently about participating in sports. Then, when they’re finally given an opportunity to actually go out there and play, a lot of them are really good. So it’s just really nice to see people be able to give it their all and participate.”
These programs also build meaningful relationships between athletes and partners. For some athletes, Baker says, “This is sometimes their first opportunity to play a sport, to get outside their classroom.” At the same time, partners gain the chance to participate without judgment and become more involved in the school community. “There are not many spaces for general education high school students to just be told, ‘Don’t judge each other, be nice to each other,’” Baker notes. That shared expectation can reshape how students see one another.
This impact extends beyond the teams themselves. Baker has seen how these programs can influence school environments, decreasing the use of blatantly discriminatory language and increasing positive, supportive conversations. Even if schools don’t have a specific program, the principles of inclusion, kindness, and advocacy can translate to any environment. “Even if you’re not into sports, there [are] other ways that you can help these programs grow,” Strain says. “By being a leader, by being an advocate, and always trying to learn more about inclusive opportunities.”
Although sports remain the most visible part of Unified programs, they’re no longer the only option. Schools throughout Oregon have expanded to Unified robotics, art, cooking, and science. “Now, it feels like people are more able to find an activity that actually suits their interests,” Baker says. The diversity of offerings allows more students to participate in ways that are meaningful to them.
No matter the activity, the spirit of teamwork is at the center. Strain believes that “creating opportunities for people to come together as a team and build those bonds” is one of the most important parts of their work. For Darcy, that sense of community is the defining experience: “The whole point is that the team is there to support each other.”
Ultimately, the spirit of Unified Sports isn’t just about athletics. It’s about creating spaces for equal opportunity and belonging, where everyone’s participation is respected and valued. As Darcy puts it, “Everyone deserves an opportunity — for sports, for school, for anything. If people are given the same chance as everyone else, they can thrive and succeed.” In Oregon schools, Unified programs are showing what that principle truly looks like in practice.
