By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
The Unified Champion Schools program is expanding at Otsego Public Schools.
The program, which started at Otsego High School two years ago, is now also being offered at Dix Street Elementary and Otsego Middle School.
A Special Olympics initiative, Unified Champion Schools (UCS) promotes inclusion by providing opportunities for special education students to participate in various athletic competitions.
Allie Rittenhouse brought the program to OPS when she was a special education teacher at Otsego High School. She now teaches preschool-aged children at Dix Street.
“I wanted to expand the program to my new building to bring this wonderful experience and opportunity to more students and families,” Rittenhouse said.
At Dix Street, Rittenhouse started Young Athletes, which is a Unified Champion Schools program for ages eight and younger. Young Athletes focuses on building fundamental skills like kicking, throwing and following directions.
“We have been conducting the program once a week since the beginning of the year during the school day,” Rittenhouse said. “I am able to do this with the support of our district occupational therapist Tayler Dendel and the district physical therapist Maureen Gast as well as my paraprofessional Christina Back.
“We are expanding to include some kindergarten students in February.”
Rittenhouse also wanted to offer Unified Champions to the older students (second through fifth grade) at Dix Street, with basketball as the chosen sport. The idea was met with support by the school’s two Level 2 teachers as well as principal Sarah Taylor.
“Next, I needed to find a general education teacher who was willing to help me make it happen and invite students from their class to participate,” Rittenhouse said. “Brooke Heid was that teacher. And as a bonus, she actually coaches basketball.”
Permission slips with information about the program were sent home, and Dix Street now has a team of 18 athletes and partners.
The partners, also called Links, are from Heid’s class.
“Brooke invited 10 students from her class that she felt would be a good fit and understand their role in supporting and helping the athletes succeed,” Rittenhouse said. “It is not about getting the most athletic students or the smartest kids. It’s about getting those students who want to be involved and those who can help support our athletes succeed, have fun, and build friendships.
At Dix Street, practices for participants will be held each Friday during the school day in January, February and into mid-March.
The first game is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13, at Zeeland. Tipoff is 4:45 p.m. Other games include:
- Friday, Feb. 21, at Jenison at 11:30 a.m.
- Friday, Feb. 28, at Otsego High School at 10:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, March 5, at Byron Center at 11 a.m.
The season concludes with a tournament on Wednesday, March 12, at the Special Olympics Inclusion Center in Grand Rapids from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The game at OHS on Feb. 28 will be officiated by OPS superintendent Jeff Haase.
“We have support from Special Olympics UCS with volunteer coaches to help with practices from Americorp,” Rittenhouse said. “Additionally, I am able to support the Dix Street UCS basketball team because Macy Merchant, the new Level 2 teacher at the high school, has taken leadership and is coaching and scheduling games for the OHS UCS basketball team.
“To say it takes a village is an understatement. I would not be able to run UCS at any level without the wonderful support from everyone around me.”
At Otsego Middle School, meanwhile, the UCS program began in November under the leadership of Stormie Moore.
“Stormie reached out to me and asked for support and guidance in starting the program at the middle school,” Rittenhouse said. “I was able to provide that support and guidance for her to take the lead and start their team.”
Like the high school UCS program, the middle school hold practice after school and has several games and tournaments scheduled.
Having the program available to more students in the district is important to Rittenhouse, as she knows the positive impact USC has on participants.
“I see the joy and excitement all the students have when at practices and games,” she said. “I hear from families and teachers how their child or student can’t wait for practice or gets the biggest smile on their face when they hear they have practice or a game that day. I see how inclusion helps them feel like everyone else and be more confident. I see them telling others about their game and how they performed.
“It helps our athletes feel like everyone else. They are a part of a team when typically they don’t get picked or make the cut. I also see partners who also didn’t make the team flourish and shine on ours. I see friendships inside and outside the classroom.
“I see families getting to cheer on their child or sibling from the stands. I see a school that supports everyone. Everyone learns more than just their sport when participating in Unified Champion Schools.”
Rittenhouse also reflected on how UCS has impacted her personally.
“It has allowed me to coach, which I never thought I would do, and to reach more students and build more relationships with students at all levels,” she said. “Most importantly to me, it has allowed us to bring inclusion to more students across the district.”
Speaking of inclusion, OPS will celebrate its district-wide Inclusion Week from Monday, March 24, through Friday, March 28.
“The high school’s Unified team and the Links help plan and run this event,” Rittenhouse said. “We’re still working on the planning and details for this, but we are currently selling T-shirts to help fundraise and spread awareness for inclusion.”
