Mastic Beach, NY - June 6, 2017 - The William Floyd School District, in collaboration with the Special Olympics of New York, just concluded its inaugural season of “unified sports,” a program which provides special education students with the opportunity to participate in a team sport facilitated by varsity student-athletes. The Colonials finished the season 5-2 and fell just short of winning the championship.
“I believe this was truly an amazing experience for our students and we have received nothing but positive reports about the impact of this program from the classroom teachers,” said Gia Vanacore, a physical education teacher who coached the team along with Will Maldonado. “The competition really gave the student athletes something to look forward to and get excited for. The whole team developed a strong bond over a short period of time and worked really well together throughout our season. Overall this was a rewarding season for the William Floyd unified sports team and we can't wait to see the growth of this program in the years to come.”
Special thanks to the Special Olympics, the William Floyd United Teachers and the William Floyd Council of Administrators and Supervisors for helping to support this program.