CARLSBAD UNIFIED CONNECTIONS
March 8, 2024
Certificated Staff Spotlight:
Sarah Shea and Josh Liston, Education Specialists at Carlsbad High School
United Sports Champions at CHS
The Carlsbad High School (CHS) gym was packed with an enthusiastic crowd as the Carlsbad United Sports basketball team went head-to-head with the Carlsbad Police Department team. The young athletes, some with disabilities and some without, were thrilled by the cheering crowd, exhilarated when their team made a basket, and proud to win the game.
A new day is dawning for CHS sports.
As a high school student, teacher Sarah Shea became involved in her school’s Special Olympics and Unified Sports programs, partnering to play sports with student athletes with disabilities. Since she arrived as a CHS teacher two years ago, she has worked to promote social inclusion through shared sports training and competition. Last year, with the support of Education Specialist Josh Liston, Special Olympics, and principal Julie Redfield, CHS began a three-year process to become a Unified Sports Champion School. Part of Special Olympics, Unified Sports brings together students athletes with and without disabilities, because training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
In the fall of 2022, Ms. Shea teamed up with Mr. Liston, facilitator of CHS’s Best Buddies Club, to seek opportunities for their students to get involved in sports and to make new connections at school. Students in the special education program got to be Honorary Cheerleaders alongside the varsity cheerleaders at a football game. Then, last spring, a group of the students with disabilities buddied up with the varsity softball team. The students participated in warm-up activities with their teammates, and then joined them on the field to hit the ball and run the bases.
That was the beginning.
This is the second year of Unified Sports for CHS. The school now has a Unified Sports Basketball team, made up of both students with disabilities and without. The student athletes have uniforms and a practice schedule. They are developing physical fitness, learning skills, and practicing sportsmanship. They have played games against the Carlsbad Police Department and the CHS staff; and now are playing scheduled games, immediately before the JV and varsity games, against teams from San Marcos, Torrey Pines, and other local high schools. With enthusiastic support from all parts of the campus -– the dance team, the varsity teams, ASB – the students feel celebrated. They will even have a sports banquet at the end of the year.
“I believe that kids with special needs inspire you to become a special person. Our goal is to make more high school activities accessible to students with special needs,” said Ms. Shea. “And we are seeing powerful outcomes already – students with and without disabilities are now team members, developing new friendships in a natural way, as they work together for a common goal.”
“Sarah is amazing and her leadership to organize the inclusive activities have been positive for not only our special education students, but our general education students and staff,” said CHS principal Julie Redfield. "Josh has worked with the Best Buddies program for six years. It is great to see the partnership and inclusivity between Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and our general education students. The activities unify our students, promote tolerance and empathy."
We appreciate the work of Sarah Shea and Josh Liston as they have a powerful impact spreading a message of compassion, inclusion, and belonging across their campus community.
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Carlsbad Unified School District
Email: cusd@carlsbadusd.net
Website: https://www.carlsbadusd.net
Location: 6225 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA, USA
Phone: 760-331-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/CarlsbadUnifiedSchools
Twitter: @CarlsbadUSD