On the basketball court, sixth-grader Wyatt Shipp receives a pass from a teammate and takes the shot. The ball goes in, and a smile spreads across his face. His teammates, along with players from the opposing team, celebrate with high-fives.

“Basketball is my favorite sport,” he said. “I practice a lot in my driveway and with my friends on my team.”

Wyatt is part of Draper Park Middle School’s unified basketball team, where students with and without intellectual disabilities play together. The team was participating in the Canyons School District’s middle school unified basketball tournament.

Cheering from the stands was Wyatt’s grandfather, Doak Duncan.

“It’s thrilling to see the joy of these kids making baskets,” he said. “We didn’t know Wyatt was ever going to be able to do any of this. He’s got a very rare gene where he has low muscle weight, experiences a lot of seizures and has low retention. We weren’t sure he would be able to sit up or stand or even walk. It’s a miracle he’s playing basketball.”

Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent McKay Robinson appreciates the value of unified sports.

“Unified Sports are the absolute best,” he said. “They aren’t just about the game; they’re about breaking barriers, building friendships and teaching every student the true meaning of inclusion and teamwork.”

Wyatt’s coach, special education teacher Morgann Collins, believes unified sports provide students with a chance to develop both sports and social skills.

“They get to be part of a sports team when they might not have the opportunity on, like a typical sports team,” she said. “They are excited for our basketball practices to learn how to play and to practice together. They came in this morning, screaming and so enthusiastic, saying ‘It’s game day.’”

Collins added it’s not just the athletes who are excited, but also the partners who support them.

“Our partners do an amazing job of making sure everyone is getting opportunities to shoot and involving everyone. They’re good to cheer on our own athletes as well as the athletes on the other team. This might be their first interaction working with people with disabilities, and as they’re transitioning to being older kids, they recognize they’re a partner and the game is for the athlete. And their parents are appreciating it as well. I had a parent of a peer tutor tell me that he’s super grateful his son had the opportunity to be part of this team and he was able to just witness the greatness of unified basketball,” she said.

The opportunities extend beyond the court, with the school’s Buddy Club offering a chance for students to sign up and eat lunch with peers in Collins’ classroom.

“They can go outside after they’re done eating lunch or they can play games they want to and stay inside. A lot of our kids are social, and the kids want to be friends; they don’t see them as students with disabilities, but as equals they want to hang out with them,” she said.

Eastmont sixth-grader Zacc Turner agrees, appreciating the experience of playing with friends.

“I like playing the game and playing with my friends,” he said. “We’re about to go up against my best friend’s team; I played with him last year at recess at Sandy Elementary. It’s just fun to compete and hang out with my friends.”

Zacc’s coach, career and technical education teacher Mark Snow, said some athletes were nervous at first, but their excitement grew as they played.

“Now, they’re all excited and having fun,” he said. “This means everything to these kids. It’s fun to watch them play together as a team. It was a big deal for them to represent Eastmont. They love picking their jersey numbers.”

Since basketball was a new skill for some students, the team practiced daily for 45 minutes starting in January.

“We taught them how to dribble and do layups. We talked about sportsmanship and to have fun. You don’t always have to win to have fun when you play sports,” he said.

Canyons Board of Education member Karen Pedersen saw the sense of community and inclusivity firsthand when an opposing team member helped push a player in a wheelchair just to include them in the game.

“It’s fun because they’re really friends out on the court,” she said. “Many students want to know each other. The focus isn’t on winning and losing. It’s everyone having that opportunity to succeed and be seen — and support one another.” λ