Unified Sports came together with Special Olympics to host a flag football outing. The game was held at the Cleveland Browns’ practice facility in Berea, Ohio. Both Lakewood High School and Strongville High School attended this event. The facility, coaching staff and the Browns organization put in a lot of work for this specific event.
Special Olympics and unified sports have been in the Lakewood community since 2016. Over the past couple of years, the events have grown into year-round events. They include flag football, basketball, and track.
The events are the definition of equality. Alongside children with disabilities, some partners come to help with the event. The turnaround of the games is tremendous among the students. It gives kids who traditionally can’t play sports a chance to compete and play games like everyone else.
The impact was evident throughout. Browns rookies Carson Schwesinger and Luke Floriea took time from their day to coach flag football. They also participated in interviews and TikTok challenges with local students. Such involvement from a major team fosters community. Cleveland is known for its loyal sports fans, and when a team engages personally with local schools and residents, it builds loyalty and strengthens the fan base.
Unfited Sports workers Lindsey Allen and P.J. Spence flew in from Washington, D.C., to cover the event for their media team. They heavily emphasized incivility in Northeast Ohio. “Special Olympics Ohio does a really good job of partnering with major sports teams. So other states could really look at that and take notes,” Spence said.
Allen really talked about how Special Olympics impacts kids. She said, “People think of Special Olympics as an event, but it’s not like the Winter Games. It’s all the time, competitive. It’s more of a lifestyle than a game.” There are so many aspects of unified sports. It’s so much more than just the sport. It’s a culture for a community.
Lakewood High School English teacher Katherine Spies has been helping organize events for the Special Olympics since her time at Ohio State University. Spies says she has always loved helping people with disabilities, so she pushed for the Special Olympics to be held throughout Lakewood.
“We host these events, and people think it’s all fun and giggles, but it can really be competitive, just like any other high school sports team. I think it’s important to make the kids feel like it’s just as competitive and maybe more than everyone else,” Spies said. It seems like a trend throughout that people love Special Olympics and what it brings after the fact.
The events have the most significant impact on the kids. Carson Schwesinger briefly spoke about how the kids can feel they can achieve the same thing as the role they see on TV, and how special that is to him.
Senior Matthew Schlatzer has participated in the Special Olympics since his freshman year. He shared how much the events mean to the athletes. “When you see the kids at these events, they have the biggest smiles. It’s a chance for them to play, compete, and have fun,” Schlatzer said.
Upcoming events include a football game in December, basketball in January, and track and field in the spring. The variety of activities highlights that Special Olympics is more than a single event—it’s a vital part of the high school sports community. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to participate in at least one event—it will make a greater impact than you can imagine.
