The Huntington Beach Union High School District’s inaugural “Soccer by the Sand” games recently brought together students with intellectual disabilities and their general education partners to train and compete in the sport they love.
Sponsored by Special Olympics Southern California to promote inclusion and camaraderie, the daylong Special Olympics Unified Sports Tournament was held on April 13 at Edison High School, drawing approximately 100 athletes.
“This effort is to just provide a change in the culture on the campuses, as they realize that the interest in competitive sports is not much different than their own,” said Sue Williams, an adaptive P.E. specialist from Westminster High School.
In all, 10 teams competed in two divisions, featuring students of all abilities and skill levels from Edison, Fountain Valley and Westminster high schools. OCDE’s Media Services team was also there to bring you the segment above.