Plymouth High School held its Unified Sports assembly on Friday, an initiative fostering unity and inclusivity. This is a major step for PHS to become a Unified Champions School–a program formally recognized by the IHSAA.
Unified Sports brings together individuals with and without intellectual disabilities, promoting friendship and understanding through shared training and sports competitions. Led by Special Education teacher Tammie Radican and a passionate Student Leadership Team, in collaboration with Athletic Director Josh Troyer and Principal Jacob Singleton, Plymouth High School is working towards meeting the four key requirements to become a Champions United school. This is an opportunity to celebrate special needs students and give them opportunities to participate in competitive sports with their classmates and feel that sense of accomplishment.
The kickoff assembly, held Friday, featured scooter races, basketball shootouts, and impactful speakers, including Tammie Radican and past participants in the program including her former students Jake and Hannah, and one of the Riverside teachers, Aryn Good. Student Lena Jones, part of the passionate student leadership team, took charge of the assembly, inviting others to join the transformative journey.
The next steps are to raise $1,500 for the Special Olympics (with the first fundraiser set for our PHS Boys Basketball game on Tuesday. Students are selling shirts to raise money, spread awareness, and offer a Unified Sports PHS plan to begin with Track and Field. Student leader Lena has invited others to join this program at a call-out meeting on Wednesday. The initiative being student-led is the last criteria. The school now has a group leading with the passion to make positive change.
As Plymouth High School embarks on this journey, the interest meeting for students is scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30 am. This offers an opportunity for you to engage with student leaders, Special Education Teacher Tammie Radican, Athletic Director Josh Troyer, and/or Principal Jake Singleton. The meeting promises friendly competition and insights into the program’s impact.
The PHS administration said, “We believe that Plymouth High School’s commitment to unity and inclusivity through Unified Sports is a compelling story that celebrates our special needs students.”
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