Sportsmanship, fun take center stage at Unified hoops championships
Brijesh Singh snagged rebound after rebound, but he didn’t take the ball down the court himself.
Instead, Singh handed it to his teammate Ahsan Ijaz, whose face lit up with excitement as Singh placed his hand on his back and ran with him toward the basket.
It didn’t matter if Ijaz didn’t make the shot. Singh was right there to grab the ball and let him try again until he did.
Singh and Ijaz are two of the 17 players on Wheatley’s Unified basketball squad. The team is made up of students with and without intellectual disabilities, who played their first county championship game at Jericho High School on Wednesday.
“At the end of the day it’s not about winning, it’s about having fun,” Singh said. “He deserves to shoot.”
“It has been the joy of a lifetime,” Wheatley coach Justin Portente said. “Unified sports give kids who wouldn’t otherwise participate in a varsity-level sport the opportunity to do so in a meaningful way. Seeing the smiles on their faces ... you won’t see that anywhere else.”
Wheatley’s 23 Eric Cheng goes up for a shot against Plainedge during their Nassau High School Unified basketball championship match at Jericho High School on the afternoon of May 31, 2023. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Nassau has doubled its number of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools since 2016, and Long Island has a total of nearly 30 programs. The county has four ability-based divisions of students without disabilities, known as “helpers,” who assist the athletes in scoring.
“These games are no different winter basketball games,” Nassau unified coordinator Pat Maguire said. “Many teams average more than 50 points per game and most of the coaches will tell you that they bring almost double the fans.”
Portente added: “The most exciting thing about unified sports is how it connects the whole school and builds a sense of community. The players feel loved by every student that sees them in the hallways and congratulates them.”
Jericho hosted the Division I and II championship games Wednesday: No. 1 Plainedge defeated No. 2 Wheatley, 40-34, for the Division I title; No. 4 East Rockaway topped No. 5 Jericho, 32-24; and No. 7 Manhasset defeated No. 6 Floral Park, 52-50, in Division II.
Plainedge’s Paul Beitnzinger shakes hands after their victory over Wheatley during their Nassau High School Unified basketball championship match at Jericho High School on the afternoon of May 31, 2023. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
