Six Seacoast schools gather in Dover for Unified Sports Field Day: 'Absolutely amazing'

DOVER — For the first time in years, many of the Seacoast-area high school Unified sports teams gathered for a season-ending field day that was filled with camaraderie, hugs, smiles, activities, celebrations, and, of course, pizza.

On Wednesday, Unified athletes and partners from Winnacunnet, Somersworth, Spaulding, Portsmouth, and Oyster River all gathered at a sun-soaked, blue-skied Dover High School.

“To recognize the Unified population, a special community, is outstanding,” Dover High School athletic director Peter Wotton said. “Unified sports changes the make-up and the fabric of our school.”

Mary Jane Hippern, who has been a fixture with Dover High School and its Unified community for the past 22 years, welcomed all the teams in the school gymnasium for introductions.

“My kids were all excited about today, they came running in before 7 a.m. just to help set up,” Hippern said. “They did a phenomenal job, absolutely amazing.”

Activities included volleyball, kickball, football toss, catching with velcro mitts, zumba and face-painting.

What some of the coaches were saying

Spaulding's Kevin Boyle has been involved with Unified basketball since the program started 12 years ago. He called Wednesday’s field day a “great celebration of Unified sports throughout the Seacoast.”

“We all have a good relationship with each other,” Boyle said. “This is just a great team to have a fun time, getting together and having fun without the stress about competition.”

Spaulding also offers Unified soccer and volleyball.

“All our kids were looking forward to today,” Boyle said. “To get outside on a beautiful day and be with other kids from different programs is great. Sure, our school colors divide us, but when we are out here today everybody is wearing pink, it’s great.”

Winnacunnet Unified basketball coach Brandon Albert called Wednesday’s field day an “incredible way to end the season.”

“We’ve competed against all these guys all year, so it’s nice to get out and have some fun,” Albert said. “A lot of these kids know each other from a lot of different events through Special Olympics or Buddy Ball, for them to get out and see each other, it’s a pretty incredible day.”

Portsmouth’s Bryan Rogers recalled when the Clippers spent a fun-filled action-packed day over at UNH to celebrate the end of a school year, but this was his first time holding a similar type of day with other teams.

“To be able to be with kids and coaches from Winnacunnet, Dover, Somersworth and Spaulding, and meeting other students and staff members is special,” Rogers said. “Our kids are hanging out with friends they have from other schools; that isn’t something that can be replicated without an event like this. Today is an awesome opportunity to be a part of.”

Kathleen Kelley has been involved with the Oyster River Unified teams for six years, but on Wednesday, she was just there to watch and be inspired.

“For the entire Unified community, is a great way to get together in a non-competitive environment,” Kelley said. “I really am enjoying watching all the encouragment from kids from all the schools. Today, everyone is on the same team, and that encourgement for each other is just incredible to see.”

All-state varsity sport partners help grow Unified program

Dover’s Brett Davis (football, hockey, baseball) and Bryce Carberry (football, basketball), Portsmouth’s Elliot Miles (basketball, baseball) and Winnacunnet’s Jake Fredericks (football, baseball) are just some of the partners who help the Unified athletes at their respective schools.

“(Davis and Carberry) being part of Unified sports really ties everything together, they are so important,” Wotton said. “They set a great example to all of our kids. They are great mentors, and the best thing is they genuinely enjoy being a part of this.”

Davis, who led the Dover boys hockey to a Division II state championship this winter and will play football this fall at Husson University in Bangor, Maine, said being part of the Dover Unified program has been a great learning experience for him.

“It’s a great community that we have at Dover,” said Davis, who was helping at the football toss station on Wednesday. “I encourage kids to do this. It takes nothing out of your day, and you learn all about the Unified kids. It’s a great experience.”

Carberry, a junior at Dover, “loves” being involved with Unified sports at Dover.

“I made a lot of new friends, and it’s a really fun environment,” said Carberry, who was with Davis at the football toss. “Events like this bring whole Unified community together, it’s a great thing to be involved in.”

Miles, a Portsmouth senior who will play baseball next year at UMass-Boston, got involved in Unified sports because of his best friend’s sister.

“This means a lot to me to be able to come out here,” Miles said. “You see every single one of these kids get so excited to be here; to be able to participate with them is a pretty wholesome feeling.”

Fredericks has seen success in both football and baseball, but equally enjoys his winter season as part of Winnacunnet’s Unified basketball team.

“It’s awesome,” said Fredericks, who will do a post-graduate year and play football at Phillips Exeter Academy. “This is honestly, the best sport I play, I’ve been saying that since freshman year. I think me being involved, hopefully other people can see me doing it and follow in my footsteps.”

Fredericks knew before the Warriors even arrived at Dover that it was going to be a great.

“We were all pumped,” Fredericks said. “Shane Trombley got on the bus and said ‘Go Warriors.’ You knew it was going to be a good day. The bus ride over was awesome; we were excited to play games and being together and meeting new people.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast schools gather at Dover High for Unified Sports Field Day