NC State Students Build Friendships Through Unified Sports Leagues

Despite having a sprained ankle, Chris Caruso stood and cheered his teammates on during the Unified Special Olympics Basketball Championship. Team Orange was facing off against Team Blue, and the score was 25-26, with 2 minutes left in the second half. Chris, a freshman in exploratory studies, jumped and yelled, trying to encourage and uplift his teammates. He was not the only one cheering, all the benches were filled with students and parents rooting on their loved ones. Out on the court, Brandon Smith, a senior in sports management, fought hard with his teammates on Team Orange. At the sound of the buzzer, Team Blue took the victory, but both teams were fulfilled by the friendships they cultivated.

NC State teams up with Special Olympics North Carolina every year to create unified sports leagues. Each team consists of players from Special Olympics NC and students from NC State. For students like Chris, the memories and friendships he has made are invaluable. His journey began when a few Special Olympic athletes invited him to join their flag football team. He agreed and enjoyed the experience so much he kept coming back every week.

Before long, friendships grew, and Chris was invited to join the Unified Basketball League. Chris has thoroughly enjoyed his experience, and he hopes to participate again next year. When asked what advice he would give to someone looking to get involved, he said, “If you want to get involved and meet lots of awesome people, then come out.” Teammate Brandon Smith shared similar experiences and was an integral part of the success of the tournament.

Brandon was the first student coordinator for the Unified Basketball Sports League. He was initially asked by Sports Program’s Assistant Director Ben Strunk to lead the program, and he took it as part of his job as a program assistant for Sports Programs. Eventually, he began to build relationships with the Special Olympics athletes and their families that he did not expect.

One reason that Brandon become so attached to the program was that he was fulfilled through his role and impact in the program. As a student-coordinator, he viewed his role as supervisory. However, he soon began growing emotional bonds with the players and connected with them personally. This is why Brandon decided to contribute to the program as a player, and not just an organizer. The relationship was give-and-take, and Brandon was able to learn valuable lessons from the athletes. In addition to the atmosphere of fellowship, the athletes brought a competitive side out of Brandon. “A lot of times, I don’t think people realize just how talented some of these Special Olympics athletes are. I think that gets lost. People do go out to have fun and to enjoy themselves in fellowship, but also a lot of them really like to compete and are very talented at the sports. So, it is just a fun, competitive atmosphere.”