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March Madness in the Conejo Valley meant a little more this year.
Special Olympics athletes and their Unified student partners from Thousand Oaks High defeated visiting Westlake 31-30 in front of a raucous gym packed with more than 700 students March 20 at Thousand Oaks High School.
It was the cherry on top of a special day for the host school.
Thousand Oaks High was honored by the Special Olympics and ESPN for its work on inclusion and fostering a sense of belonging for students with disabilities through Unified Sports. The Special Olympics program provides team sports for athletes with disabilities.
Thousand Oaks High senior Tessa Whitman, who was voted president of Unified Sports at her school after being involved in the program for four years, said the support from her fellow students at the game was cherished by athletes and partners alike.
“It was just so electric in here,” Whitman said. “Everyone was having a blast, cheering for both teams.”
Thousand Oaks High was named to the 2025 ESPN Honor Roll along with 44 other schools across the country. It was one of just three schools to receive an in-person celebration.
Festivities included visits from Hall of Fame sportscaster Linda Cohn, who emceed the event, actor Charles Melton of "Riverdale" and "American Horror Story" who was a guest coach. Christopher Schwarzenegger and Molly Shriver, family members of Special Olympics founder Eunice Shriver, also delivered remarks at the event.
“How do you not have a smile on your face just taking in the surroundings?” Cohn told The Star before the game tipped off. “These incredible athletes have amazing value, are important, are entertaining. You know what? They are unselfish — how refreshing is that?
The crowd roared with enthusiasm for every score, but none more than Benjamin Lee’s two long shots in the final minutes of the game to put the Lancers on top.
His teammates surrounded him to give high-fives and congratulate him after the victory.
“Unified Sports is an incredible place,” Whitman said. “It’s (a) place where everyone can come, no matter your background, no matter your different abilities you have. We just foster inclusion, energy and love towards every student.”
At halftime, Whitman helped unfurl a banner celebrating her school’s contributions to inclusivity, to the cheers of the students in attendance.
“Inclusion is not a destination that we reach, it is a culture that we build every single day through our words and our actions,” Thousand Oaks High School Principal Eric Bergmann told the students at halftime. “Let’s stop asking if someone fits into our culture and instead, let's ask how we can expand our culture. When we leave no Lancer behind, we all go further.”
Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for the Star. He can be reached at [email protected]. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks High recognized for inclusion at Unified Basketball Game
Continue reading...
Special Olympics athletes and their Unified student partners from Thousand Oaks High defeated visiting Westlake 31-30 in front of a raucous gym packed with more than 700 students March 20 at Thousand Oaks High School.
It was the cherry on top of a special day for the host school.
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Thousand Oaks High was honored by the Special Olympics and ESPN for its work on inclusion and fostering a sense of belonging for students with disabilities through Unified Sports. The Special Olympics program provides team sports for athletes with disabilities.
Thousand Oaks High senior Tessa Whitman, who was voted president of Unified Sports at her school after being involved in the program for four years, said the support from her fellow students at the game was cherished by athletes and partners alike.
“It was just so electric in here,” Whitman said. “Everyone was having a blast, cheering for both teams.”
Thousand Oaks High was named to the 2025 ESPN Honor Roll along with 44 other schools across the country. It was one of just three schools to receive an in-person celebration.
Festivities included visits from Hall of Fame sportscaster Linda Cohn, who emceed the event, actor Charles Melton of "Riverdale" and "American Horror Story" who was a guest coach. Christopher Schwarzenegger and Molly Shriver, family members of Special Olympics founder Eunice Shriver, also delivered remarks at the event.
“How do you not have a smile on your face just taking in the surroundings?” Cohn told The Star before the game tipped off. “These incredible athletes have amazing value, are important, are entertaining. You know what? They are unselfish — how refreshing is that?
The crowd roared with enthusiasm for every score, but none more than Benjamin Lee’s two long shots in the final minutes of the game to put the Lancers on top.
His teammates surrounded him to give high-fives and congratulate him after the victory.
“Unified Sports is an incredible place,” Whitman said. “It’s (a) place where everyone can come, no matter your background, no matter your different abilities you have. We just foster inclusion, energy and love towards every student.”
At halftime, Whitman helped unfurl a banner celebrating her school’s contributions to inclusivity, to the cheers of the students in attendance.
“Inclusion is not a destination that we reach, it is a culture that we build every single day through our words and our actions,” Thousand Oaks High School Principal Eric Bergmann told the students at halftime. “Let’s stop asking if someone fits into our culture and instead, let's ask how we can expand our culture. When we leave no Lancer behind, we all go further.”
Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for the Star. He can be reached at [email protected]. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks High recognized for inclusion at Unified Basketball Game
Continue reading...
