Kentwood unveils Unified Champion School banner

Pack the Gym nights are always special in and around the Kent School District.

But on Feb. 5 at Kentwood High School, Pack the Gym was a bit more significant for the Kentwood community.

Kentwood became just the second school in Washington to be named a Unified Champion School by the Special Olympics of Washington. To become a Unified Champion School, Kentwood had to achieve 10 different markers, and in their third year of their unified program, they have achieved one of the highest markers in unified athletics.

The program is led by coaches Honey Sychtysz and Stewart Kunzelman, who have seen the program grow from 14 kids to over 140 in three years.

“They have worked extremely hard over the last three years. Watching their faces when they get to play with their peers is very rewarding. But more rewarding is watching them build friendships. They not only are friends with their classmates, but peers outside of the school,” said Sychtysz.

The 10 markers are as follows:

1. Unified Sports is offered in at least two seasons throughout the school year.

2. Unified Sports participation occurs regularly over the course of each sport season or school term and includes competition.

3. An adult coach for each sport who has received training on Special Olympics Unified Sports.

4. Unified Sports is officially recognized by the school in a similar style as other athletics/activities.

5. A Unified Club or student group offers leadership opportunities/training for students with and without intellectual disabilities.

6. The inclusive club/group meets at least once per month throughout the school year.

7. The inclusive club/group has an adult liaison and is officially recognized by the school in a similar style as other clubs/activities.

8. At least two whole-school engagement activities are implemented per school year.

9. Students with and without disabilities are involved with planning and leading the awareness activities.

10. The school is currently self-sustainable or has a plan in place to sustain the three components into the future.

Kentwood unveiled its banner before a unified game against West Seattle that ended in a 29-29 tie. Food trucks lined the lot and fans flooded into a gym that was as the name of the event described, packed.

“This is life changing for Kentwood and history in the making. It is a direction that we hope the movement can continue to go,” Sychtysz said.

Kentwood’s first Pack the Gym event they have held is special for the Kentwood coaches and players and their families.

Unified sports has a way of bringing people out of their shell, and Pack the Gym is an event that honors the hard work of the athletes, partner-athletes and coaches. It builds lasting memories for kids who never would have had the opportunity, if not for unified athletics.

“Our kids when we started, half of them didn’t even know what a ball is for basketball. Now they can all dribble the basketball, they are all making improvements as they go,” Sychtysz said.

Learning to play basketball goes hand in hand with gaining more self confidence, Kunzelman said.

“Along with the improvement in skills comes a huge boost in self-confidence. They make friends with their partners, then they feel more connected to their student body,” Kunzelman said.

The Kent School District made it a priority to commit to unified athletics, and for Sychtysz and Kunzelmen, that support is crucial to the broadening reach of unified athletics. Even middle schools are beginning to have thriving unified programs, all thanks to the leadership and effort from Kent School District.

“Having that support where we don’t have to worry if our district, school or administration is going to back us, we know that when we say, hey can we try something, they say let’s try it. They have opened every door for us,” Sychtysz said.

The banner signified more than just the accomplishments of Kentwood’s unified programs and teams. It signified three years of blood, sweat and tears that Sychtysz and Kunzleman have put in with their players. For the families to see their sons and daughters represented by a significant marker of achievement as a community is what the two coaches set out to do.

“If you’d asked Honey and I if an event like this would happen, we would have both said it was a dream. The amount of support that has come behind our team, seeing the devotion, drive and courage of our partners and athletes. It’s overwhelming the support we are feeling right now,” Kunzelman said.

Home games are always special no matter what sport or who is playing. In the current state of high school athletics, gyms are never full. More students, community members and parents show up to Pack the Gym nights than most regular season varsity basketball games.

“For a lot of these kids, they will remember these kinds of moments for the rest of their lives. They never would have dreamed they would feel a true varsity team, representing their school in the main gym. It’s something that parents have told us many times, ‘I never thought I’d see my kid do anything like this,’” Kunzelman said.

“The parents come back and have tears in their eyes and saying ‘Wow, my kid is doing this. This is exactly what we wanted,’” Sychtysz said.