For the second year in a row our CHS Unified Volleyball team had a successful season, and, despite this year’s challenges with Covid 19, the Oaker spirit prevailed against all odds. As this year’s season comes to a close, we would like to thank our amazing seniors, Devin Favino, Shawna Charpentier, Connor Macomber, Nicholas Kanaczet, Juliana Aguiar and Brendan Dowling. We would also like to thank the amazing support from our staff and coaches, Mrs. McConnell, Ms. Whitlock, Ms. Garcia, Dr. Ruffolo and our Principal Mrs. Macomber.
For those unfamiliar, Unified Volleyball is played like a regular volleyball match with some modifications to how the players are allowed to serve the ball and the chances they have to serve. Athletes, the special needs students, are allowed two chances to serve the ball underhand. A requirement of the team is that typical peers can not be playing on the regular school volleyball team so that all students alike can help build each other up as we all have fun learning the ways of volleyball. Our usual practice time would be during the academic lab portion every other day, however due to complications with Corona, the team met after school before games. Even though the team could not meet as often, our Oakers stepped up to work even harder during the short practices and put in more effort than ever before to meet this year’s competition.
Throughout the season from March to April the team went up against Tollgate and Bishop Hendricken High School and despite the competition our Oakers went out with great sportsmanship and energy to tackle all the challenges.
The unified volleyball team is just one of the pieces of the unification that occurs at Coventry High School. The Unified Oakers club, run by Mrs. Hoskins, is a great way to get involved in the school community and support kids of all different abilities. The unified movement is not just about the club but promoting unification throughout the school any and every day. Rhode Island happens to be the only state in the nation where every high school has a unified program implemented, something that is worth celebrating! Right now The Unified Oakers are in the process of planning the big banner revil celebration to announce Coventry High School’s status as a Banner school, an honor bestowed on a school by Special Olympics for meeting certain, rigorous criteria. If students would like to learn more about how they can get involved, please email Mrs. Hoskins.
While students this year were both present in school and on Google Meets from home, the Coventry Oakers defined the distance while remembering what it means to be an Oaker: to be Open minded, Accepting, Kind, Encouraging, and Respectful.
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