IHSAA SECTIONAL CHAMPS!!

So you won’t find me at Anderson Speedway tonight… I just walked off the football field instead.

Earlier this year I joined my high school’s Unified Flag Football team. I figured I’d play a couple games, have fun, meet some new people, and see what happened. I definitely didn’t expect all of this!

For those who don’t know, Unified Sports brings students with and without intellectual disabilities together to play on the same team. It’s about inclusion, friendship, and making sure everyone gets the chance to be part of something bigger. I got to be the QB for this team, and it’s been pretty cool getting to be part of something that means so much more than just football.

We made school history by winning our first-ever IHSAA Unified Flag Football Sectional Championship!

Today we played in regionals. We were down by 22 at halftime and ended up losing by 3. Definitely not how we wanted it to end, and my heart is pretty heavy right now.

At the beginning of the season, I never would’ve thought we’d make it this far. Winning sectionals and getting to compete at regionals is something I’ll always be proud of.

The outcome today wasn’t what we wanted, but the friendships and core memories we made along the way are worth so much more than a final score.

So instead of racing tonight, I’m walking away from the football field proud of this team and everything we accomplished together.

Different uniform, same competitive mindset.