MIDLAND, Texas —
The Unified Track Meet at Midland Memorial Stadium provided athletes with and without disabilities the opportunity to compete, build confidence and create an environment of inclusion.
"Unified sports help build bonding, camaraderie, friendships. It builds all of their social skills, not just the special ed kids," said Robert Willard, MISD teacher and unified sports coordinator for MISD. "It helps with behavior, bullying; it's just a great program for the schools."
The students got to compete in both relay races and individual races.
Events like this help remind the kids in general education that their peers in special education aren’t really that different from them.
“The best thing about this is you know how the kids go to games together or they go out, it’s great seeing them invite the special ed kids. Cause they get to learn about them through sports and they know that they’re kids just like them,” said Willard.
For students like Abell Junior High 7th grader, Jazlynn Martinez, regardless if you win or not, just being able to come out and enjoy an event like this with friends is more than enough to put a smile on her face.
“I feel really good. I feel that I’m happy and that I’m good," Jazlynn said. "It was good that I wanted to do this with my friends this year and this is my first year and I like to do this a lot and I wanted to run fast for my mom so yeah."