Stockton University’s Unified Sports Club is marking its tenth year with the Special Olympics of New Jersey by defending its basketball title.
The student-run club is one of 10 at a college or university in the state to compete as part of the Unified Cup, which joins athletes with and without intellectual disabilities.
The teams compete in soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter. The Ospreys won the basketball competition last year for the first time.
“One of the greatest things we do here in athletics is unified sports, and all the credit goes to our Stockton students,” said Associate Director of Athletics and Recreation Jeff Haines, who oversees the club. “The time, the dedication, the passion and the patience they have for our Special Olympic unified athletes is incredible.”
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences.
The club's history goes beyond its affiliation with the Special Olympics.
It was established at the school at least 15 years ago, Haines said.
There are currently about 20 soccer players and 40 basketball players from the Special Olympics of New Jersey, or SONJ, according to the organization's numbers.
Stockton has about 10 to 15 students who participate in the program as aides and coaches for the athletes.
The athletes ranging from their 20s to 40s meet with the students weekly on campus for practice. The club also plays once a year in G. Larry James Stadium at halftime of a Stockton intercollegiate soccer game and once a year in the Sports Center at halftime of a basketball game.
This year’s basketball game on campus will be Wednesday during halftime of the men’s basketball game vs. Kean University.
Stockton is one of the strongest participants in the program, often having one of the largest unified basketball teams in the state, according to Jess Stevenson, who oversees the college unified sports program for SONJ.
The club is a unique opportunity for the athletes to experience a university campus setting, she said.
“They actually get to walk on to a campus, potentially for the first time ever, which is really neat,” Stevenson said. “It’s an opportunity to make friends with these college students and make friends with people who they might not have a chance to meet before stepping on Stockton’s campus. They can do more and something they might not had done before.”
The athletes love the opportunity to play before a big crowd in a big arena, Haines added.
“The athletes that come here for soccer and basketball, it’s the highlight of their week, their parents tell me," he said. "The 12 minutes they get out on the court is special to them. They look forward to it all year.
"What’s great too is that the fans and the students really get into it," he added. "They root them on to score a basket. “And our Stockton students are the key to running it. I can’t take any credit for it whatsoever.”
Molly Schick, a senior from Marlton, is the president of the club and has been involved since she walked on campus in 2019, after her brother’s girlfriend urged her to join the team.
“My roommate and I went, tried it out and we loved it from the first practice,” said the nursing major. “I put myself out there and just ended up loving it. I found the one thing that I loved, and I just stuck with it through four years.”
Schick said she’s only “played a little bit of sports” throughout her life, she doesn’t consider herself a very competitive person and — before joining the club — she had very little experience working with people with intellectual disabilities.
“But I just love being part of the team, supporting other people and lifting other people up,” she said.
The athletes have become an important part of her life, texting some of them almost daily just to see how they are doing.
One athlete recently had an incident on a bus ride home from practice and was stuck at the Atlantic City Bus Terminal. He called Schick. She and Assistant Coach Matthew Long picked him up and drove him home.
“I know that we don’t have to do that, but you build such a strong bond with these people,” Schick said.
“What I have learned from the whole program is to treat everyone the way you want to be treated,” said Long, a senior from Toms River majoring in business administration. “No one is better or worse than anyone and this club has really taught me that.”
Long said his background in sports and team dynamics has helped make the practices fun while also having some structure and teaching the athletes the basics of the sports. He’s especially looking forward to defending Stockton’s Unified Cup title on April 7 at Princeton University’s Jadwin Gymnasium. The Ospreys will face teams from Montclair State, Rowan and Rutgers, among others.
“The athletes have given me so many fun memories, and I’m so fortunate and grateful that I was able to be a part of something so much bigger than myself,” he said.
Schick said the Unified Sports Club has left a lasting impact on her life.
“Honestly, it’s made me a better person, and they are going to make me a better nurse,” she said. “It’s taught me so much about teamwork, communication, collaboration. I’m so glad I said yes to join my freshman year.”
