Fitchburg High wins unified accolades
Fitchburg High recognized as Special Olympics Unified Champion
Garnering recognition from ESPN requires excellence in athletics.
Receiving honors from both ESPN and the Special Olympics, that takes a bit more.
On Monday, the two national organizations released their list of 36 Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, putting the spotlight on school systems that make outstanding efforts to be inclusive in sports of students with disabilities.
And on the “2020 Honor Roll?” None other than Fitchburg High School.
“It’s not even one selection per state and we’re representing Massachusetts,” Fitchburg athletic director Craig Antocci said. “It’s a huge honor.”
“It’s due to the tireless work of our liaisons, our coaches. I was talking to (Fitchburg High paraprofessional and former track coach) Cindy Donelan, who submitted the paper work for this and really spearheaded this initiative, and she said none of it would have been possible without Mark Minnucci. He’s now working in North Brookfield, but he was the (student program support administrator) here for a number of years and his tireless work really got Unified Sports off the ground in Fitchburg.”
Unified sports are inclusive programs uniting Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities with partners without those disabilities for both training and games. At Fitchburg High, both Unified Basketball and Unified Track are offered to students.
According to ESPN, a Champion School “endeavors to create an inclusive school climate and to promote a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.”
The honor isn’t one the school saw coming, though according to Bryan Baxter, who has coached the Unified Basketball team for the last two years, it’s certainly in line with what he’s seen as part of the program.
“Having Fitchburg High School recognized nationally as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School is a tremendous testament to what Fitchburg High School and Fitchburg as a city are all about,” Baxter said in an
email. “Inclusion at Fitchburg High school is just part of who we are. It’s the Red Raider way!”
Antocci says the entire school district should be credited with developing a sense of inclusivity and elevating students to their full potential.
“We’ve got great programs in the city of Fitchburg and at the high school,” he said. “Our special education program is top-notch. We provided services and chances for everyone to be involved here.”
The honors may not be over for Fitchburg High. The top five schools in the nation will be announced on Oct. 12.