The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) Unified basketball team played their first home game last Thursday. While the team lost 52-51 to Monomoy High School, the crowd’s energy and support were a highlight for players, coaches, and spectators alike.
The stands were full and alive when Shamere Coke made the team’s first three-pointer of the season. “It was probably the loudest our stands have ever been,” said Head Coach Kevin McGrath.
The Unified team is an Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) varsity team that runs in partnership with Special Olympics Massachusetts. The team brings together teens with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities to compete in a league against other participating schools.
On the court, three students from either the Navigator or Voyager programs play on the MVRHS team, along with two partner players. The league aims to celebrate fun and inclusion rather than traditional wins.
Sophomore partner player Payton Silvia appreciated how many students showed up in support. “The student section had a lot of energy, and just in general it was a good game,” she said.
Ariel Meyer is a sophomore in the Navigator program, and noted how her confidence and abilities have grown on and off the court. “[Mr. McGrath] taught us defense, offense, dribbling the ball, shooting the ball, getting more points, maybe one day dunking,” she said.
Mr. McGrath has been involved with the team since it started in 2018. “I do some planning, but we just start playing,” he said. “I’m always excited to work with each season’s group of kids.”
Junior Navigator Olivia Coyle said, “We love to travel with our team. We get to go off-Island a lot.”
“We get to play with some non–special needs kids,” said sophomore Navigator Ethan Burr. “I like getting to know people outside of my grade, and getting to know people as my teammates.”
The team will participate in the Postseason Jamboree, the culminating event of the MIAA Unified basketball season, from Nov. 4 to 22. According to the MIAA website, “the Jamboree is structured as a postseason celebration and round-robin festival focused on inclusion, community, and sportsmanship.”
The next home game is scheduled for Nov. 12 after school.
