Tuttle Special Olympics unified basketball season underway

By Jayson Knight
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Tuttle Special Olympics Volunteer Rosalin Patel hangs out with athlete Zoe Buchanan after school Wednesday, October 8 during a practice for the upcoming Unified five-on-five team basketball event November 8, followed by the Boomer Sooner Area Basketball Skills event, which Tuttle will host for the third year, on November 19 from 8 a.m. to noon inside the high school gym.

Tuttle Special Olympics Volunteer Alexa Bachelor hangs out with athlete Gavin Kleck after school Wednesday, October 8 during a practice for the upcoming Unified five-on-five team basketball event November 8, followed by the Boomer Sooner Area Basketball Skills event, which Tuttle will host for the third year, on November 19 from 8 a.m. to noon inside the high school gym.

William Thomas hangs out with Austin Hagerman after school Wednesday, October 8 during a practice for the upcoming Unified five-on-five team basketball event November 8, followed by the Boomer Sooner Area Basketball Skills event, which Tuttle will host for the third year, on November 19 from 8 a.m. to noon inside the high school gym.

Tuttle High School Unified Basketball program has tipped off another season, bringing together students of all abilities for a mix of competition, teamwork, and inclusion that has become one of the school’s proudest traditions.
Led by Special Olympics Instructor Donna McKinney, the Unified program combines Special Olympics athletes with student volunteers to form a five-on-five basketball team and a companion skills team. Each group practices regularly inside the high school gym, where the energy and laughter are constant.
“We have students of all abilities on that team,” she said. “Our Special Olympics athletes and some of our volunteers, even students from other school teams, all come together to compete. It’s very competitive, but it’s also just a great way to build friendships and confidence.”

Tuttle Special Olympics Volunteer Anna Calcote hangs out with Jaren Hughen-Green after school Wednesday, October 8 during a practice for the upcoming Unified five-on-five team basketball event November 8, followed by the Boomer Sooner Area Basketball Skills event, which Tuttle will host for the third year, on November 19 from 8 a.m. to noon inside the high school gym.

The Unified five-on-five team will play its first basketball event November 8, followed by the Boomer Sooner Area Basketball Skills event — which Tuttle will host for the third year — on November 19 from 8 a.m. to noon inside the high school gym.
“We’ll have teams from Norman, Moore, Chickasha, and everywhere in between,” McKinney said. “We’re expecting more than 200 people that day, and this will be our third year to host it.”
The skills competition focuses on dribbling, shooting, passing, and rebounding, with athletes rotating between stations to showcase what they’ve learned.
“We want to give them a great Tuttle welcome by providing lunch, ribbons, and just making it a great day for everyone,” McKinney said. “Coach Stewart, one of our basketball coaches, has been really helpful, and a lot of our teachers step in too. It’s a big day for our school.”
More than 70 students are part of the program this year, including 20 Special Olympics athletes and about 50 student volunteers, along with several adults who help coordinate and supervise practices.
“The only way it works with such a large group is that we’re a family,” McKinney said. “Our kids all love each other. Sometimes they’re like siblings, they get angry or jealous, but at the end of the day they love each other. Every single person involved is blessed and benefits from being part of this team.”
After the November events, the Unified team will compete again at the Special Olympics Winter Games in January. McKinney said she hopes to see a strong turnout at the November 19 event.
“It’s free to come in and watch,” she said. “If anyone wants to help provide meals, decorate, or just cheer on the athletes, we’d love to have them.”