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.

At Butler Middle, special education teacher and coach Noah Filzer said his team meets every Friday for lunch before practicing drills.

“Everyone is smiling because they’re comfortable with one another,” he said. “We’re building camaraderie as a team. None of them have the same classes since they're all different grades, but they come together for unified sports.”

Filzer highlighted the inclusivity of the program.

“Anybody can participate so everybody has the equal opportunity to get out there and compete and have fun,” he 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.”

Midvale Middle School students also appreciate the camaraderie.

Eighth-grader Jose Dina said when he got the ball, he shot it.

“I threw it right up there, and it went in,” he said. “Then I got a high-five afterward.”

Seventh-grade partner Emily Wallace said cheering is an important part of unified sports.

“I like to cheer people on; during practice when we divide our team and play each other, I get asked why I cheer and I tell them because we're all doing great, and in the end, we're all on the same team,” she said. “Even here, I’m cheering on everyone. I want everyone to do well.”

Emily often leads the cheer after each game with a loud “unified!”

Midvale healthy lifestyles teacher and coach Katelyn Parry said her team focuses on encouragement.

“Our aim is to have fun and encourage each other, whether it's our own team or the other team,” she said. “Everybody's here for the same reason, and it's to play and be part of something bigger than just our school. This is a great opportunity for our students to meet new friends, learn some skills, participate in such a huge community event and be supported by peers and parents. It’s awesome.”

Canyons Board member Jackson Lewis watched several games and appreciated the positive environment the students were creating.

“I'm appreciating how the students together are creating positive environments for their teams,” he said. “It's great some of these partners are passing the balls so everyone gets an opportunity. You can see the looks on these kids’ faces when they shoot and they score, and when they get the support from their fellow teammates, they're loving it. This is an incredible inclusive community.”