“On a unified team, each athlete is allowed a partner to support...

“On a unified team, each athlete is allowed a partner to support them on the court. We make sure every athlete gets a chance to participate and score.  We control the tempo.  Since basketball games can be chaotic, it can be helpful for athletes to have a teammate who can guide them and keep them calm.  Unified sports are wonderful because they allow us to play together as brothers.  Giles always used to watch us playing at the local club growing up.  He wanted to join us but the level was too high for him.  Giles can have problems reaching certain goals.  So many times we have to tell him that his goals are not possible.  It’s frustrating for all of us.  But this time we got to say: ‘Yes Giles, it is possible.’  Every Friday we get in our car together, drive to the river, listen to our favorite songs, and then head to our game.  It’s our favorite day of the week.”
(Special Olympics World Games, Abu Dhabi, UAE)