Unified Track and Field

2022 Unified Track and Field Team

Head Coach: Julia Baer - baerj@sgasd.org
Assistant Coach: Abbie Sechrist

Interscholastic Unified Track and Field

About the Program

Spring Grove Area School District has partnered with the Pennsylvania Special Olympics to offer a Unified Track and Field Team. Special Olympics Interscholastic Unified Sports® (IUS) is a fully-inclusive co-ed high school sports program that successfully brings together students with and without disabilities. They train together and compete as equal teammates and, through this experience, become friends. IUS teams are regarded like every other interscholastic sports team at the high school.

• A Unified Track and Field team can have a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 30 participants. The team is co-ed and consists of a proportional number of high school students who are Special Olympics eligible and students without intellectual disabilities.
  
  
• This is an after-school program. All students need to have a physical examination and required consent forms completed.
  
  
• Format: Students select one track event and one field event in which to train and compete, and also may be selected to one relay team. In competition, they are placed in heats with other athletes who have similar qualifying times or distances. Based on their place of finish, students earn points for their Unified team. The Unified team with the most points wins the meet. 
  • Track Events include: 100 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters; 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays
  • Field Events include: Shot put, running long jump, mini javelin
    
    

• 10 week-long season which begins the first week of March and ends the third week of May. Teams practice after school twice a week. They participate in at least three competitions against other high school Unified Track and Field teams. Members wear uniforms with their school’s name and colors.
  
  
• Teams participate in county or regional championships with the opportunity to advance to the IUS Track and Field State Championships held in conjunction with the PIAA state event.

Program Impact

Interscholastic Unified Sports

• Fosters Social Inclusion: Teammates with and without disabilities become friends.
• Creates school climates that promote respect, acceptance, and diversity. Students are valued for their unique talents and skills.
• Reduces bullying through empowerment, awareness, and engagement.
• Improves health and fitness, especially for students with disabilities facing higher risks.
• Develops character, life skills, and enhanced self-esteem