Personal Narrative: My First Unified Sports Team

Throughout my softball career I have been a team player and leader. I often played as a utility player adapting to the team’s needs. My sophomore year of high school, myself and another teammate were co-captains. After getting hurt that season, I decided on starting the first Unified sports team at my high school. When creating the program, I wanted to create an inclusive environment that fostered teamwork and sportsmanship between people with intellectual and/or physical disabilities and those without disabilities. I believe that by playing sports myself was very instrumental in the success of the program I established. The Unified team that I play on has some of the best comradeship I have had on a team. Personally, I have seen a change in my sportsmanship. I have seen a return of the care-free pure enjoyment of
I am involved with the leadership program at my parish, called SMYL. Being a part of this leadership team is something I aspired to since my involvement in middle school. As a SMYL member I have had the opportunity to work my way through the ranks to earn a position as the Middle School Ministry Coordinator. I work along side ten other coordinators called Servant Team. Together the eleven of us work with our head minister to plan and lead events. I also work with a group of SMYL members that assist me at Middle School ministry events. I have realized that by being on this team that communication is everything. Likewise on the softball field, if there is no communication or a lack of communication, things can go wrong very quickly. Therefore, I like to plan events ahead of time instead of last minute. I have been able to carry over the idea of specialization and delegation like a team has. Just like a sports team has a designated pitcher and catcher, I have been able to work with my team to delegate roles to the best of everyone’s