The Ocean City School District is encouraging students, staff and community members to pack the stands and cheer on the Unified Sports athletes as they play the season finale basketball game on Thursday.
Cedar Creek High School Unified team will join forces with the Ocean City Unified team to play against Egg Harbor Township Unified in the Ocean City High School gym at 3 p.m., according to a news release.
Family, friends and community members from the schools are invited to cheer on the players.
The school district’s Unified Sports basketball team will host its first season finale. Made up of about 12 special education high school students from the Life Skills and Work Based Learning classes, the Special Olympics global initiative has been a positive experience.
District officials are excited to close out the season by showcasing the continuous outpouring of support from staff, student athletes and volunteers, the release states.
“Bringing Unified Sports to OCSD has been an incredibly positive experience. Watching how far the program has already come in just a few months with the support of our volunteers, players and community members, it’s so rewarding to be part of,” Ocean City School District Interim Superintendent Terrence Crowley said in the release. “Our district does such a great job supporting our athletes, performing arts and clubs already, so I know this game is going to have a great turnout.”
Jessica DeBiaso, an Ocean City High School special education teacher and the coordinator of the W.A.V.E.S. program, said, “We want this season finale to be big, from the posters seen throughout the building to handmade signs and air horns in the stands.”
She continued, “When we’re excited on the sidelines and in the stands, it gives the players an even bigger sense of excitement. Bringing our community together for an event such as this really makes all the difference.”
The Ocean City Unified Sports basketball team participated in the first game of the season on Jan. 25 at Mainland Regional High School. Along with Egg Harbor Township, Cedar Creek and Mainland Regional high schools, the district competes with other unified teams including the Cape May County Special Services/Cape May Technical High School.
Student volunteers from other athletics teams are referred to as “buddies” and participate in a variety of ways from playing in the game and coaching to cheering on the teams.
Ocean City Unified coaches DeBiaso and Stephanie Hurless started the program in Ocean City in September 2023.
Established in 1989, Unified Sports is a Special Olympics program designed to give students with and without intellectual disabilities the opportunity to play on the same team while promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences.
