Bocce team crowned champions this fall
The Greater Johnstown School District has opened an exciting new chapter this school year by partnering with the Fonda-Fultonville School District to bring Unified Sports to our community. At its heart, Unified Sports is about inclusion—bringing athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together on the exact same team to practice, compete, and cheer each other on.
Guided by Special Olympics New York and governed by the NYSPHSAA, this inspiring program highlights the true spirit of sportsmanship and community.
The program made a fantastic debut this fall with our bocce team, coached by GJSD teacher Jay Holland and Fonda-Fultonville’s Allyson Warren. At their end-of-season tournament held at the Italian American Center in Albany, our Fonda-Fultonville/Johnstown team was named tournament champions!
Superintendent of Schools Alicia D. Koster expressed her support for the program: “At Johnstown, we believe every student deserves access to meaningful opportunities to explore their interests, discover their strengths, develop new skills, and experience a genuine sense of belonging within our school community. Our commitment is to create an inclusive environment where all students feel valued, supported, and encouraged to participate in the many experiences our schools have to offer.”
“Unified Sports is a wonderful example of this commitment in action, bringing students of all abilities together to build friendships, develop confidence, and experience the pride and joy of being part of a team,” she added. “We are grateful for our partnership with Fonda-Fultonville, which has allowed us to expand these opportunities and create such a meaningful experience for our students.”
“We have been wanting to bring Unified Sports to Johnstown for many years, and we are thrilled to finally make this program a reality for our students,” Johnstown’s Director of Student Engagement and Athletics Robert Kraemer said. “The benefits of this program reach far beyond the score of any game: our athletes recognize their potential and embrace new challenges, our coaches gain valuable perspective, and our families share the excitement of seeing their children thrive as part of an inclusive team.”
Next up, our Unified Sports program will field a bowling team this winter and a basketball team in the spring.
