Rhinebeck High School’s unified basketball program is looking to build off the success of its first season. The Hawks will tip off their second season at Red Hook on April 24 and will host Pine Plains in their home opener on April 29.
“I like the teamwork, meeting people and playing for the fun of it,” said student-athlete Jada Smith.
Unified sports is offered by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association in collaboration with Special Olympics New York, which says unified sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Basketball is the spring sport, and bowling is offered in the winter season.
Special education teacher Susannah Rienzi and Assistant Principal Marc Burg serve as Rhinebeck unified basketball’s co-coaches.
“I think the program was really successful last year,” said Rienzi. “There was a tremendous amount of growth with the players who came out to play. The teamwork and basketball knowledge really grew as well as really nice friendships. I think this is a nice opportunity for them to interact with students they would not see because they’re not in class together.
“What I enjoy is I have these kids in class and seeing them here where they can really shine in a different way is very rewarding for me.”
Burg, who also is the varsity girls basketball coach, added, “To see them succeed in game situations and putting them in situations that were not always comfortable for them working together was really nice to see.”
In unified basketball, each team has five players on the court – three student-athletes and two partners, who are students without a disability.
Senior Henry Frischknecht and sophomore Kate Reichelt are two partners, who are considering careers as special education teachers.
“At first, I wasn’t interested specifically in special education, I wanted to be a teacher,” said Frischknecht, who will attend SUNY Oneonta. “I enjoyed this so much last year, I wanted to have a career relating to this.”
Frischknecht added, “I really like the connections I’ve made. What I’ve learned from them was just as important as what I was teaching them.”
Reichelt said her mom is a teacher and taught special education for about 20 years. She visited her mom’s classroom, and loved seeing how engaged the students were in education and how much they loved school.
“I’ve always loved the sport of basketball,” said Reichelt, a varsity girls basketball player. “They love the sport as much as us and they get a chance to play.
“Seeing how much they’ve grown and how much they’ve learned, it’s rewarding to see. If you give them a tip and they use it, it just makes you feel good.”
Come April 29 at the home opener, everyone is saying the gymnasium will be packed with students, staff, family and friends, who will cheer with support.
“The best part is playing with teammates. Last year, I made a new friend,” said student-athlete David Curiel Morales.