Ethan Mitchell, one of East Hampton High's special education teachers — and the school's varsity wrestling coach — has for several years now not only overseen his "uniquely abled" students' academic work, but also has, with the help of volunteers from the student body, coached them in the "unified" sports of bowling and basketball, an experience that has led him to conclude that it's not only been a win for his athletes, but also for their fans in the stands and their peer "partners" on the lanes and courts.
"We want to keep it as authentic as possible without being too attentive to the rules," he said last month, following his basketball team's season-ending win here over Center Moriches. But the win took a back seat to the fun the kids and those who came that day to cheer them on — a crowd that included the high school's varsity baseball and softball teams — were having, both during the game, which was gently refereed by Rein Griesmer and Chris Sarlo, and especially during an unrestrained get-up-and-dance session at halftime to the exuberant song "Cotton Eye Joe" played by Josh Brussell, who provided dramatic commentary throughout the four quarters of play.
Asked before play began what the unified basketball rules were, Sarlo said, "To have fun."
When it comes to his students, Mitchell said, "You always want to have goals, attainable goals, in front of you, but you don't want to have unreasonable expectations — if you don't attain a goal, it doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. With uniquely abled children you want to set obtainable goals and expectations."
"Have I seen improvement over the course of the season? Absolutely, yes. Their perseverance, their grit, and the courage these young adults have is there for everyone to see when they're out on the court. . . . Yes, they're trying their best . . . and they're doing it with a smile. There's so much love, so much care for one another. These games give them a chance to showcase their skills and their growth, and to feel that they're an important part of the school and community."
Speaking of change, Mitchell said he'd "also seen undeniable change in some of those students who have come out to help. We don't want just the star athletes to be partners or helpers, we want everyone, even the troublemakers, who I've found get into less trouble once they've interacted with our unified athletes."
The May 28 game was the last one for Juliana Figueroa, a 21-year-old who will have "aged out" when the unified basketball season begins next April. "Juliana's a showboater," Mitchell said with a smile. "She shoots with her back to the basket, over her back, through her legs. . . . After the game, Krista [Brooks], who helps me coach, gave her her uniform and a big poster of her that Krista had put up with those of the eight other players on the gym wall."
"Sean Lester," he continued, "loves to shoot 3-pointers . . . he hustles on defense, he's very active. After his brother Danny, who played varsity football and baseball, graduated last year, he said to his parents, 'When's my turn?' "
"Austin Miller is our big guy in the paint with the spin move, very competitive, he likes to win, Brianna Zambrano is the biggest cheerleader of all, and Clash Zamora, who we'd heard was very wary of sports balls, was our rookie of the year. We weren't sure when the season began if he would play, or, if he did, what role he would have. He absolutely exceeded our expectations."
Wylie Stern, Ginger Griffin, Elle Reidlinger, and Kevin Quito acted as partners in the May 28 finale, though the following have also worked with the unified athletes: Leo Seandel, Hudson Goulart, Nate Tarbet, Charlie McMillan, Ben O'Sullivan, Ryder Christenson, Frankie Barrientos, Natalie Mongan, Cybelle Curry, and Miles Menu.
