Unified Basketball program promotes social inclusion

Program continues to spread

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On Friday mornings this winter at Arapahoe High School, the gym was full of students coaching and playing basketball with their peers with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

e program, Uni ed Basketball, exists at all three Littleton public high schools to bring students with special needs together with other students to play sports and develop friendships.

is school year, all four district middle schools also started Uni ed teams.

The impact of Unified

As an athlete, Arapahoe senior Milana Rosazza values sports and believes everyone deserves the opportunity to play. When she got injured and could not play soccer last year, she joined Uni ed Basketball.

As a coach for the team, she runs drills and coaches games for students who receive special needs support. Aside from coaching, some students participate in the Uni ed team as “peers” who join the athletes on-court.

In her role, Rosazza sees what a di erence the program makes for the athletes and for students like herself.

“I’ve participated in a lot of things at school… but none of those compare to how Uni ed sports has a ected me,” she said.

Allison Rooney, a special education teacher and one of the Uni ed program sta sponsors at Arapahoe, said the program is incredibly valuable to the students who practice with and coach Unied athletes.

“It’s such a great opportunity for our typical peers to have exposure to kids that are di erent and… to see the gifts that our students have to o er,” she said.

For the athletes, the program o ers a powerful opportunity for authentic friendships.

“A lot of our students have a hard time with the social skills and all the necessary things that occur with a friendship,” Rooney said. “I just think (Uni ed Basketball) lends to more natural friendships occurring with the kids, because our athletes can be their true self and our partners just accept them for who they are.”

Arapahoe High School is working to become a Uni ed Champion School through Special Olympics Colorado.

Unifying further

With the middle school teams beginning, Rosazza had an idea to build a relationship between the Arapahoe team and younger teams.

“We’re just trying to nd a way to bring them together with some mentor athletes at Arapahoe in order to kind of teach (the middle school teams) how it works,” she said.

Rosazza pitched the idea to her group for a capstone project class, which juniors and seniors at Arapahoe can take. Her partners were all on board for the project, which they titled Joint Uni ed Mission to Play, or J.U.M.P. for short.

During the recent basketball season, which ended in early March, Rosazza and her group partners coordinated a practice for Arapahoe Uni ed athletes to lead at Newton Middle School.

“ ey’re just really good mentors towards the younger kids,” she said. “We didn’t even have to coach -- they just led the drills and it was awesome… It gave the Arapahoe kids a leadership opportunity, while also still helping the younger kids.”

Rosazza said another bene t of the partnership between schools is getting to watch the students build relationships with each other. She said one Arapahoe Uni ed athlete got to reunite with some of his friends when he visited Newton to mentor them,

Public Notices

Last Publication: March 30, 2023

Publisher: Littleton Independent Centennial Citizen Lone Tree Voice Bids and Settlements

Public Notice ARAPAHOE COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

CASE NO. PF22-006, BROCKMANN SUBDIVISION #03 / FINAL PLAT

PROPOSAL: The applicants and property owners, Eleutherious (Terry) and Anthea Stefanoudakis, are requesting approval of a Final Plat to create one additional lot for single-family development. There is currently one existing single-family residence on the 2.42-acre lot. The existing residence is proposed to remain on a and it’s heartwarming to see more relationships like that being created.

“I think this relationship will also make the transition from middle school to high school a lot easier for a lot of the kids because they’ll have some familiar faces,” she said.

Carley Fagler, one of Rosazza’s partners on the J.U.M.P. project, said Uni ed helps students with intellectual or developmental disabilities feel included.

“For me, it’s allowing all kids to feel equal and equally supported,” Fagler said. “I

1.8 acres lot, and a new custom single-family residence is proposed on the new lot.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on April 25, 2023 at 9:30 A.M., or as soon thereafter as the calendar of the Arapahoe County Board of County Commission permits, a public hearing will be held; at which, all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard concerning the above-described PF22-006, Brockmann Subdivision #03 / Final Plat. The public hearing will be held at 5334 S Prince St, East Hearing Room, Littleton CO 80120, with the option to participate remotely. The agenda will typically be posted by the Friday afternoon preceding the hearing and can be viewed on our website at https://arapahoe. legistar.com/Calendar. You can also listen to, or speak at, the meeting by calling 1-855-436-3656. To join the speaking queue, press *3 on the telephone keypad.

More information about this proposal is available at the offices of the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development Department, Planning Division, want them to feel like they’re a part of the community and they’re embraced and loved… To help the middle school kids incorporate that into their lives now, it’s just exciting to watch.” ey are hoping to buy t-shirts for the athletes, serve pizza and have a dance party for the athletes in addition

In addition to the mentorship practices, Rosazza, Fagler and their other partners are organizing a tournament in April that will include the Uni ed Basketball teams from Arapahoe and all four middle schools.

6924 S Lima St., Centennial CO 80112 (please call ahead to schedule an appointment if you plan to walk-in), by calling 720-874-6650, or by emailing planning@arapahoegov.com during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board

Legal Notice No. Arap 1173

First Publication: March 30, 2023

Last Publication: March 30, 2023

Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen to the games. Money can be donated to support the tournament costs at https:// tinyurl.com/yc8wfj42.

Fagler said she hopes the impact of the inter-school partnership extends beyond Uni ed athletes.

“I also think that we’re showing… the kids who are not even involved in the Uni ed Basketball in schools how we support our uni ed kids at Arapahoe,” she said. “ at’s a good way to transition them into high school, to teach them how to support one another and how we’re all equal.”

PROPOSAL: The applicant proposes to amend the existing Southeast Public Improvement Metropolitan District Service Plan to broaden their funding to include park and recreational improvements. This amendment does not propose a tax increase.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on April 18, 2023, the Arapahoe County Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 6:30 P.M., or as soon as possible thereafter at 6954 S Lima St, Arapahoe Room, Centennial CO 80112; at which, all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard concerning the above-described Case No. SD22-001, Southeast Public Improvement Metropolitan District / Service Plan Amendment. The agenda will typically be posted by the Friday afternoon preceding the hearing and can be viewed on our website at https://arapahoe.legistar.com/Calendar. You can also listen to, or speak at, the meeting by calling 1-855-436-3656. To join the speaking queue, press *3 on the telephone keypad.

More information about this proposal is available at the offices of the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development Department, Planning Division, 6924 S Lima St, Centennial CO 80112 (please call ahead to schedule an appointment if you plan to walk-in), by calling 720-874-6650,