If he’s ever sat next to you in class or stopped to chat with you in the hallway, you’ll notice that there’s one topic he’s always eager to discuss.

He can recall the latest Red Wings game, their sixth loss in a row after getting into the playoff picture. He can break down Liverpool’s starting lineup for the English Premier League. He even knows the status of our own school teams and just wrapped up his third season on the bowling team.

No matter what level or sport, Brayden Lewis Farver (11) is always up to date.

So when East Lansing finally started a Unified Sports basketball team, he didn’t hesitate to join.  Apart from playing and experiencing the sports that he loves, one of Lewis Farver’s favorite parts about sports is making new friends and spending time with his teammates. 

“I’m very happy because I know a couple of kids [on the team.],” Lewis Farver said. “We practiced every day for bowling from 3-5. I’m doing bowling for a couple more years,  and I’m doing basketball for Mr. H.”

Unified Sports is an international program run through the Special Olympics. It promotes inclusivity and community by combining students with and without disabilities into one sports team. Sponsored by ESPN, over a million people around the world participate. While East Lansing only offers basketball, any sport fits under the umbrella of Unified Sports. 

As a paraprofessional, Robert Hollingsworth (known as Mr. H) works alongside students with special needs to help them with schoolwork. Before taking on a role in the classroom, he coached AAU track. In his 45 years of coaching the team, he worked with a variety of students of all abilities. Whether it’s a brand new track runner or an Olympian like Taylor Manson (‘17), he has a talent for helping kids improve no matter their starting point. 

After seeing how sports impacted his own life and the lives of the hundreds of other athletes he’s coached, he wanted to give special education students at East Lansing the same opportunity. 

“I know they have Special Olympics for track and other events,” Hollingsworth said. “I’ve seen firsthand how much sports motivate the kids. I knew that basketball would be fun, so I just tried to do it.”

Hollingsworth assembled a group of students and began early in the school year. Practices, held during or after school, mainly consist of scrimmaging. After the team grew accustomed to playing together, he secured donated uniforms from the JV basketball coach and organized some games at MSU.

While ELHS has had sports integrated into the special education curriculum for years, this is the first year we’ve had a sports team outside of school hours. 

Since beginning practice, Hollingsworth has noticed changes not only on the court but also in the classroom. 

“It just increases their morale immediately,” said Hollingsworth. “You can even use it as an incentive. They love it so much. You can say ‘Hey, I don’t know if you’ll be able to practice today because you haven’t been paying attention.’ It is a tool to help with whatever behaviors or anxieties they’re dealing with.”

Special Education Teacher Elizabeth Bastin has also noticed a positive impact from the program.

“They have a lot of confidence with it,” Bastin said. “They’re really enjoying getting to talk about it with people and invite other students. I’ve also seen an impact on the general education students who have joined them. It’s been so cool to see. ”

Special Education Teacher Patricia Sanchawala has also noticed a similar impact on general education students from co-teaching. While Bastin’s students stay with her for multiple hours a day learning several educational topics, Sanchawala’s students see her for up to one hour a day to receive academic support alongside their general school schedule.

“After I finish teaching, I go back to my room with my IEP students to continue teaching with a slower, more detailed version of the lesson to help them with whatever parts they might be struggling with,” Sanchawala said. “What I’ve seen a lot of the time is all kinds of kids asking if they could come with me- and they do. And I feel like that kind of normalizes what we’re doing.”

Ultimately, Bastin sees Unified Sports as a way to give special education students equal opportunities to their peers. While the future of Unified Sports could take several routes, the impact on ELHS students and staff is already visible.

“Last basketball game, we had a lot of people stopping and watching,” Bastin said. “It was just really cool and special that we have something we can do that we love that combines everybody. A way to be together.”