Unified Together: The Unified Bowling team gives special education students a chance to participate in athletics and develop relationships with peers

“Yahtzee!” Then-freshman Tristen Ogun shouts and turns to give then-junior Andrew Rhodes a double high five. This is their celebration after getting a Yahtzee during personalized physical education.

And this celebration has carried over into Unified Bowling one year later. Now, every time sophomore Ogun gets a strike, he turns to Rhodes or teammate and senior Jake Smith for a double high five and shouts, “Yahtzee!”

Just as Ogun did at the meet on Oct. 29, after he bowled the third strike in a row for his team — a Turkey. Ogun’s team, with Smith and junior Jacob Stiles, placed first at the meet and has placed in all other meets this season, including their most recent on Nov. 5.

“The meets are just so fun,” Rhodes said. “When someone hits a strike or spare the energy is so there and there’s excitement.”

The sport has given special education students a platform to compete, even if they aren’t the best bowlers, according to special education teacher Tia Hurt.

“Nobody's in their face if they get a gutter ball or miss a pin or whatever,” Hurt said. “It provides some opportunity to be on a team.”

Unified Bowling only became a KSHSAA sport five years ago, and coach and SHARE coordinator Sheryl Kaplan has led the team since then. Right out of college, Kaplan taught special education for 10 years — something she found a passion for after volunteering at the Special Olympics her freshman year of college. Right after the event, she switched her major to special education.

Special education is “where [her] heart is,” according to Kaplan and all of the athletes enjoy working with her.

“She’s nice, she has a lot of energy and she’s funny,” sophomore and athlete Dave Williams said.

Unified Bowling is done using the Baker Method. Athletes are divided into teams of three with two special education athletes and one neurotypical partner. The partner will bowl frames one, four, seven and 10, and the athletes alternate bowling the other frames. Six games are played in a match.

Hurt’s son and freshman Fitu Hurt is on the Unified Team, and, being a parent, Hurt said she appreciates the friendships her son has been able to build through the team.

“As a parent it warms my heart to see the relationships that are being built and how [the partners] take that time to pour into these students so that they do feel successful and they do feel like, ‘Hey, I have a friend in the building that's not just part of my bowling team, but I can see out in the hallways and be able to talk to them,’” Hurt said.

While SM East is an inclusive community, in terms of athletics, there aren’t many opportunities for students with special needs, according to Hurt. However, senior Grace Rayfield, a member of the Unified team since freshman year, tried out for the girls bowling team last year and made the team. 

“Her skills just kept going up, and she was feeling really good about herself and about her bowling skills,” Kaplan said. “And we all encouraged her to try out for the team, and she did and she made it. And we're all extremely proud of her.”

Practicing, competing and working with their peers teaches students what it’s like to be on a team and how to take a loss.

Many of the athletes have been part of Unified Bowling since their freshman year. While some will get upset when they don’t do well, Hurt has seen them grow to understand that the sport is more than just winning.

“As [the athletes] have become sophomores and juniors, I have seen how they are encouraging, whether they do poorly or they do well, how they uplift their other teammates,” Hurt said. “It's not just about them anymore. So, they've definitely matured while they've done Unified Bowling.”

During the announcements in seminar, the athletes will cheer each other on when one of their classmates is announced for placing at a meet, and Kaplan has seen the relationships developed during practices carry over into the halls of SM East.

She’ll see students high-fiving one another in the halls, and during a bake sale on Oct. 28, Kaplan noticed how the athletes and partners have become a friend group.

“[Unified Bowling] forms relationships and gives [the athletes] a sense of pride in how they bowl and the skills that they are learning at bowling is really very incredible,” Kaplan said. “And I think that the relationships are important for the special [education] kids and the neurotypical kids. I think it makes a difference in all of them.”