Unified basketball is a program that is new to LHS. It was created to give athletic opportunities to students who don’t normally have them.
“They are implemented to help bring more opportunities for students who want to get into sports but aren’t able to compete on a regular varsity team,” said math teacher and unified coach Patrick Gregg.
Unified teams include students who help facilitate the game and support the players. They typically play five on five and use standard basketball rules modified for the players.
“Everyone who played and came to a game would recommend it. It is one of the most fun experiences a person can have at a sporting event,” said Gregg. “There is no competitiveness, just kids having fun and spreading joy.”
The LHS unified team played other high school’s unified basketball teams like Tualatin, Canby and Lake Oswego. Each game was filled with tons of fun and Adam Studer, a senior player on unified, dropping threes.
“I also enjoyed our ‘Cupid Shuffle’ dance at halftime of the Canby game and our senior night, in which all the players from both teams danced at center court with no embarrassment and tons of fun. The fans and cheerleaders joined in on the dancing,” said Gregg.
The unified team even had the opportunity to scrimmage on the Portland Blazer’s court 20 minutes before their game started. This opportunity was due to the fundraising players Nico Belcik and Nico Merlo Flores did by going door to door at homes in the area.
Ending the season with a bang Unified had a senior night to honor all the seniors on Feb. 28th where they had a dance break during halftime.
