Green and white jersey-clad student-athletes of Unified P.E. and Link Crew hustled across the basketball court to cheers from a packed student section in the Wildcat gym on May 8.

Unified P.E., a class “for students…to come together through ongoing educational and physical activities,” partnered with Link Crew to host “The Game of the Year.”

Even though the 30-minute lunch-time basketball contest resulted in a 4-4 tie, both teams walked away winners.

“I think there was an equal amount of pride and excitement about the entire process — pride in how much [Unified P.E. students] were being supported and encouraged by the students in the stands, and the excitement about playing [and] competing in a basketball game,” Kasia Givenrod, Unified P.E. teacher said.

The Unified Sport Games was created by Jill Matyuch, former BOHS girls’ athletic director, in 2018. After a four-year hiatus, Givenrod decided to bring the games back to BOHS.

“I definitely felt a void on campus not having Unified Sports as an option for our students. I wanted to bring [it] back so that we could provide more opportunities for students of all abilities to come together and to continue to foster an inclusive culture on campus,” Givenrod said.

Before the game began, Brielle Denbo, junior and Link Crew member, introduced each player to the crowd. Then, two Link Crew leaders and three Unified P.E students from each team gathered at half court, awaiting the jump ball. 

Participant Aalia Rodriguez, senior and Link Crew member, said, “As soon as [the Unified P.E. students] hit the court, I saw their confidence go way up. When first meeting them, they were quiet and wouldn’t want to throw the ball; however, on game day, they were screaming ‘Go, Brea,’ and you could see the confidence radiating off of [them].”

The game was back-and-forth, with each player from both teams attempting multiple shots.

“You could see [the students’] joy and excitement as they played the game,” Givenrod said.

The entire freshman and junior sections of the stands were filled with students. Also in attendance were the cheer team, Wildcat medical staff, Link Crew members, BOUSD school board member Deana Miller, and Superintendent Brinda Leon.

The full stands “brought a feeling of unity,” Rodriguez said. “It felt like a real community.”

To prepare for the game, Unified P.E students and Link Crew practiced every Monday during lunch for three weeks. They scrimmaged, practiced shooting, but most of all, had fun. 

“I had a lot of fun growing closer to each one of [the Unified P.E. students], and I can proudly say that each one of them has become my friend,” Joshua Allred, junior and Link Crew member, said.

Givenrod, who anticipates the “The Game of the Year” will again be an annual event, said, “It was such an amazing demonstration of what an incredibly inclusive student body and staff we have here at BOHS.”