Unified Basketball Tournament


ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) -Midland ISD hosted their 3rd annual unified basketball tournament where student athletes competed for the love of basketball.

The unified basketball tournament is not about winning games or trophies. It is about building self-confidence and having fun with their teammates.

Midland ISD student athletes with and without disabilities competed for the sake of good sportsmanship.

Special needs students worked together with their peers for compassion of understanding and kindness.

“They go against players like themselves. They go against other players with disabilities, and it helps because it gives them confidence to be able to go out and do something.” said student council president of the unified games Felipe Padilla.

The event had an inclusive positive environment for players with disabilities to play in front of a crowd and to have cheerleaders supporting them.

This type of environment brings the best out of them.

“They are a part of something that they are normally not be a part of if we didn’t have the program within the school so for them, they are a part of everyday life that you and I live, and the students and also the athletes.” said executive director of the west region J’nette Thorne.

This tournament is designed for student athletes who did not make the basketball team at their respective school for them to gain confidence and to be prepared for the next try out clinic.

“This tournament gives them a chance to go over their skills. helps them evaluate their skills and give them more confidence to better perform next year.” said Padilla.

This tournament helps student athletes to make special connections with their friends and with the community.

“More importantly the community because when they are not in school. They see each other in the community. They know each other and they are friends so they hang out and they do a lot of things that you normally wouldn’t normally see if we didn’t have our program.” said Thorne.

The next unified tournament is a bowling tournament which will be in December.


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