Advocates NHS Students Pitch Federal Lawmakers For Ongoing Support Of Special Olympics - Newark Central Schools
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ELIJAH MALACH
“Hill Day opened my eyes to the
power politicians have to change the
Advocates
world. It gave me hope for the future amid
disease and distrust. Hill Day was an
NHS Students Pitch Federal Lawmakers
enlightening, energizing experience and I For Ongoing Support Of Special Olympics
will be looking for a Special Olympics
F
program this fall in college.” our Newark High School students and their Unified Sports Coach
Matt Groot joined Special Olympics New York leaders for 2022
Capitol Hill Day February 9&10th in advocating, virtually via Zoom,
for federal funding to support Special Olympics Unified Sports and Inclusive
Health programs.
Newark Coach Matt Groot and seniors Ammorette Laws, Coty Coon,
Elijah Malach and junior Sara George had the opportunity to share their
viewpoints with Representative Joseph D. Morelle (D-25), a staff member
from the office of Senate Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY) and
Representative Claudia Tenney (R-22).
The Unified Pair of Laws and Malach participated in the Zoom
session Feb. 9th with a representative from Gillibrand’s office and Unified Pair
of Coon and George participated in two sessions _ one with Morelle and the
other with Tenney.
Groot, also a Special Education teacher at NHS, said Morelle and
AMMORETTE LAWS Coon had a great conversation, with both making each other laugh. “Coty even
invited the Congressman to attend a Unified game this spring.”
"My favorite parts were the practices He said the four students met together for practice sessions in advance
and rehearsing with my friends. We and “really got to bond, laugh, and develop their friendships together!”
had a lot of laughs together during “All four students participated in a few national Zoom meeting trainings with
these practices and our friendships representatives from Special Olympics from different states,” Groot said. “They also were
continued to grow." interviewed by the Special Olympics representatives who facilitated the presentation with the
Congressional representatives. The Special Olympics representatives developed a script that
would tell their stories of their participation in Special Olympics and Unified Sports.”
Portions from the scripts follow:
• Ammorette: “Eli and I both love music; I sing, he plays instruments. We love
musicals, we are great friends, AND we’re teammates on our Unified Bowling team. When I get
a strike, Eli gets a strike. When Eli gets a strike, I get a strike. Having Eli on my team makes me
so happy. Sometimes people think that Special Olympics is just great for people with disabilities,
but they help young people all over the world with, and without, intellectual disabilities.”
• Coty: “My nickname is Coty Curry because I shoot 3’s. I’ve even made it from half
court before on a buzzer beater. Everyone went crazy, and it felt incredible. My team still didn’t
COTY COON
win, but we tried so hard, and it felt good to have given it my all. I think everyone should play
“I loved being able to meet new people
Unified, you’ll have fun, and make friends. I’m great at recruiting new teammates by going
on zoom and talk to them about the
through the hall and fist bumping students. I’ve learned that everyone is always super nice, and
sports we play. I am hopeful that I
I’ve been able to make friends that I didn’t know.”
could convince some representatives to • Sara: “I enjoy being a part of an inclusive community. I can see how Special
come out this spring to a game and see Olympics impacts my teammates, but more importantly, how it’s made me build connections. If I
us in action." didn’t join Unified, I never would have known Coty, or half of my teammates, and formed these
amazing friendships.”
• Eli: “It turns out, we are a lot more similar than we are different. Ammorette and I
are a great Unified pair in the bowling alley, and we’re great friends everywhere else. The feeling
we get when Ammorette and I both bowl a strike is such a rewarding, amazing feeling because we
do it as a team.”
The NHS Unified Sports Pairs were invited by Jessica Dauvergne Director
of Program, Unified Sports for Special Olympics New York to participate in the
Capitol Hill Day event
“As part of being a Unified Champion Banner School in Section V we were asked to
help present to members of Congress (virtually) in order to help ask for funding for Special
Olympics. This is an annual event that NYS does and find it more powerful to have Unified
Pairs speak on behalf of their story,” Groot said.
“When we meet with members of Congress on Capitol Hill, the people they really want
to hear from are the athletes and students who benefit from our programs,” said Special
Olympics New York President & CEO Stacey Hengsterman. “So we called in some of
SARA GEORGE the best of the best, and the team from Newark High School definitely hit it out of the park. We
“ I enjoyed my role in presenting the positive are fortunate to have such excellent athlete leaders advocating for Special Olympics.”
impact of Unified Sports to Congress on “I’m so proud of what this team has accomplished, on and off the court,” Groot said.
behalf of Special Olympics. Inclusion is vital “Unified Sports is a student-led movement that has completely changed the culture at our high
in building a strong school community, and I school. Today, Newark is one of the most inclusive schools in the state not only because of our
have found working with the Unified athletes partnership with Special Olympics New York but because of students like Ammorette, Sara, Coty,
to be a rewarding experience. I am grateful to and Elijah who have led us in the right direction.”
have been given the platform to share these
experiences.”
NHS received the national distinction of becoming a Unified Champion
Banner School in 2020, one of only four of the 25 Section V schools. They are:
Churchville-Chili, Irondequoit, Newark and Victor.
A Special Olympics Unified Champion School is one that has an “inclusive
school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the
student body and staff.” It has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10
national standards of excellence. developed by a national panel of leaders from
Special Olympics and the education community.
The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics
Unified Sports® in which students with and without disabilities train and compete as
teammates, Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole-School Engagement. Banner
Unified Champion Schools also demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan
in place to sustain these activities into the future.
Special Olympics International CEO Mary Davis joined the New York
delegation Feb. 10th for its meeting with Senator Schumer’s office. She said, “For more
than 50 years, Special Olympics athletes and youth leaders have defied expectations, broken barriers,
MATT GROOT
and shattered stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities. Their continued work to build truly
“I’m so proud of what this team has
inclusive communities is only possible with critical funding from the U.S. government, which is
accomplished, on and off the court,” Groot
complemented by private support.”
said. “Unified Sports is a student-led
Special Olympics athletes, organization leaders, and supporters from across
movement that has completely changed the
the United States participated in the recent Capitol Hill Day, including more than 400
culture at our high school. Today, Newark is
delegates representing 47 states and the District of Columbia. Typically, Special
one of the most inclusive schools in the state
Olympics U.S. Programs travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with their state’s
not only because of our partnership with
Congressional representatives in person. However, due to COVID-19, all meetings
Special Olympics New York but because of
were held virtually this year.
students like Ammorette, Sara, Coty, and
In nearly 7,500 Unified Champion Schools across the country and more than
Elijah who have led us in the right direction.”
250 in New York, Special Olympics has trained and mobilized youth leaders and
educators to create more inclusive schools by including students with Intellectual
Disabilities in all aspects of school life. Special Olympics also offers critical health
programming where Special Olympics athletes receive free health screenings and
year-round health and fitness interventions, and where health professionals are trained
to treat people with ID to increase access to quality care for people with ID in their
communities.
Special Olympics New York is the largest state chapter in the country, serving
more than 51,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic
competition, and health screenings. The organization also partners with about 250
schools statewide to offer Unified Sports. All Special Olympics New York programs
are offered at no cost to athletes, their families or caregivers. For additional
information about Special Olympics New York, to learn more about getting involved,
or to make a donation, visit www.specialolympicsNY.org.
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