Trafalgar Middle School Selected as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School

Trafalgar Middle School Selected as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School
Posted on 10/25/2024
Trafalgar Middle School Selected as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School

The School District’s second middle school will soon hang a Special Olympics National Banner in their gym as a Unified Champion School. Trafalgar Middle School is the only school in Lee County and one of ten in the entire state to be honored as a 2024 Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School.

“It is a truly lifechanging experience for everyone involved,” said Trafalgar Middle School Principal Leigh Ann Cain. “Athletes have once in a lifetime opportunities to feel inclusion and to be a part of real game with a capacity crowd cheering them on. Partners and coaches make real friendships with students they would never meet otherwise.”

Trafalgar Middle has about 70 students participating in its unified program. They play basketball, soccer and track together. They’re adding pickleball this year. Coach Matt Ziemer is committed to continually growing the program so it can be the best it can be.

“We encourage the whole school involvement by creating unity days and using the game as a behavior reward,” Cain said. “This allows hundreds of students to come to the games to cheer on the Unified athletes, the support and energy is really fun to watch.”

A National Banner Unified Champion School is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community. The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

Lehigh Acres Middle is the District’s other middle school to earn a Special Olympics National Banner. They were honored last year along with Cape Coral High School, Lehigh Senior High School and North Fort Myers High School. Mariner High School and Fort Myers High School earned banners in 2022. Each school can reapply for National Banner status every four years.

“As a unified champion school, TMS shows a dedication to inclusion in several aspects beside sports,” Cain added. “We have several inclusion clubs and whole school engagement activities that promote inclusion and teach students to be curious and not judgmental.”

Trafalgar Middle is busy planning a special pep rally and a Black vs Teal unified basketball game for the Special Olympics to attend and present them with their national banner.