In partnership with Special Olympics Utah and the Davis School District, Horizon Junior High School is proud to offer official Unified Sports programming for the 2025–2026 school year.
Horizon Junior High School will participate in:
· Unified Basketball
· Unified Track
· Unified E-Sports
Unified Sports promotes inclusion, collaboration, leadership, and school pride by bringing students together through shared athletic and extracurricular experiences. As the program continues to grow, our goal is to expand Unified opportunities to include as many junior high sports and activities as possible.
About Unified Sports
Special Olympics Unified Sports® is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition. The program brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Unified Sports is built on a simple and powerful principle:
Training together and playing together fosters friendship, understanding, and respect. Unified Sports teams are formed with students of similar age and ability, ensuring:
Meaningful participation for all students
Enjoyable practices
Engaging and competitive games
Through shared participation in sport, barriers are reduced, misconceptions are challenged, and students develop lasting connections that strengthen school communities.
For More Information:
https://www.specialolympics.org/what-we-do/sports/unified-sports)
Unified Basketball Program Overview
Horizon Junior High School will offer Unified Basketball as part of its official Unified Sports programming. This program is designed to bring together athletes and Unified partners in an inclusive, team-based environment that promotes participation, skill development, and sportsmanship.
Unified Basketball teams will be under the direction of Coach Black and Coach Holmes.
Program Structure
Teams will participate in scheduled practices focused on:
Fundamental basketball skills and drills
Rules and gameplay understanding
Teamwork and conditioning
Student participation is completely voluntary.
Students may withdraw from participation at any time without penalty.
All teams will be registered to participate in the Davis School District–sponsored Junior High Unified Basketball Tournament, scheduled to be held at Central Davis Junior High School on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 (location and date subject to change).
Participant Roles
Athletes
Athletes are students who have been identified with:
Intellectual disabilities and/or
Physical disabilities
Unified Partners
Unified Partners are students who:
Choose to play with and alongside athletes
Understand and support the mission and purpose of Unified Sports
Promote inclusion, teamwork, and positive peer interaction
Team Composition
Each team will consist of up to 10 players
Teams may include any combination of athletes and Unified partners
Playing preference is given to athletes; partners will rotate as needed
Teams may be organized based on skill level to ensure meaningful participation
Skill Level Descriptions
High Skill Level
Athletes who demonstrate skills comparable to same-age peers in traditional basketball settings, with minimal or no observable need for adaptations.Mid Skill Level
Athletes who can perform most basketball skills but may benefit from direct coaching, reminders, or partner support during gameplay.Low Skill Level
Athletes who require one-to-one support, hand-over-hand assistance, or modified equipment or facilities to safely and successfully participate.
Fees and Eligibility
Families will be notified in advance if any participation fees are required.
No student will be excluded from participation due to an inability to pay.
Payment or non-payment will not impact on student eligibility to participate.
Parent/ Athlete Meeting
· February 25th at 6pm in the Main commons Area
o Come with questions
o Practice schedule will be given out
o Final details should be given to coaches from district and available to share to parents
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Talk to Coach Black
(385) 519-6703
OR
Jacblack@dsdmail.net