It was halftime on April 23, the first unified basketball game of the season. Play stopped and the music started pumping. Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” filled the East Hampton High School gymnasium and the basketball court turned into a stage, with vocals from the Southampton Mariners and some pretty solid break dancing from the Bonackers. It was a celebration and a reminder of what sports are all about.
“Dance party baby, always,” Kathy Masterson, the district’s athletic director, said enthusiastically before tearing up. “This. This community. These kids. The love this community shows for them. They are us. They are the heart of Bonac and they always will be. They’re my favorite events of the year. I wouldn’t miss them for the world.”
As good as the theatrics were, the game was even better. Sean Lester of East Hampton nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game for Bonac 69-66. The shot had several people in the gym murmuring that Dave Conlon, the varsity basketball coach, should give Lester a call. Lester, however, had a simple explanation for his spectacular play.
“Because I’m the strongest kid on earth,” he said. “I did good for my team. My best friend, Miles [Menu], helped to teach me that. Being good at basketball means getting a 3-pointer.”
Unified basketball brings players of all abilities together for team fun. Partners like Aidan and Miles Menu — who often play varsity sports — join athletes from East Hampton’s Life Skills program, teaching them the basics in practice and helping them through games.
“Practice makes perfect,” Miles Menu tells the kids. “Just keep going over it and you’ll get better, and Sean has. He hit that game winner, which was sick.”
The game is played on a regulation basketball hoop, with smaller hoops for athletes who aren’t able to shoot that high. Whatever their ability, they’re encouraged to push themselves.
“We continue to push that message of challenging ourselves,” said Ethan Mitchell, the head coach of unified basketball. “It’s okay to make mistakes. Set the bar high and you’ll be surprised how many of them meet those expectations. That 3-pointer that Seanie hit at the end of the game was just amazing. It’s like a storybook ending.”
Unified basketball returns to the home court April 30 to play Center Moriches at 4:30 p.m. in a game that just might have another extraordinary ending. Whatever happens, it will undoubtedly be one of the best games at East Hampton High School this year.
