Apponequet Regional High School’s unified basketball team had an enthusiastic atmosphere for their first game of the season. 

The Lakers lost to the Old Rochester Bulldogs 28-40 on Wednesday, September 26. 

As the audience chanted “let’s go lakers” in the Apponequet Regional High School’s gym, the team got stronger defensively in the second half, with multiple players stealing possession from Rochester.

Unified basketball is a sport where players with and without intellectual disabilities play on the same team. The goal is to include students in the school community, while also allowing all students to enjoy playing sports.

According to coach Nicole Briggs, the coach of the team and an Adult Transitional Program Teacher at the high school, the game was a “huge success.”

“It’s not about the score,” she added. “The turnout was amazing and everybody had an awesome time.”

Team member Lily Rogers said that she had been “doing clubs with special ed. kids since freshman year” and that she “loved making them feel included.”

“I hope to win at least one game,” she said, “and I hope all the special ed. kids can score.”

Briggs explained that the team holds practices twice a week. “Ultimately the goal is to teach the kids basic fundamental basketball skills, but also inclusion is a huge part of it.”

“It’s not necessarily about the sport we’re playing, but about the skills that we gain by being together, by being a part of the school community, and by just being a team.”

The team has five more games left in the season, Briggs said, and the next two home games are on Oct. 11 and Oct. 16.

“I think our strength right now is offense and scoring the ball, and we’ve been working this season on defense and taking the ball and just being more proactive on defense.”

“The best way you can support us is by showing up and cheering us on,” she said.