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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) – Jamestown Public Schools will be adding two new sports teams to their repertoire this spring.
The Jamestown Board of Education approved the creation of a Unified Basketball and Girls Flag Football teams for the upcoming spring sports season at their Tuesday night meeting.
The Unified Basketball team aims to promote social inclusion where any student can participate.
“Unified sports in general has been a growing phenomenon for the last several years,” explained Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker. “Basketball, I think, may have been one of the first, possibly track and field. But over the course of the last several years it’s grown in popularity and interest. So Ben Drake, in conversation with other Section VI athletic directors, saw that there was an opportunity for us to have competition and to begin this program. So, we wanted to make sure we gave kids the opportunity to participate in sports no matter what their developmental level as opposed to their age.”
The Superintendent goes on to say that there has been interest in the team by staff, students, and parents alike. The enthusiasm for the sport is not only in Jamestown, but across Chautauqua and Erie Counties.
As for the Girls Flag Football team, he says that students and parents approached the district to create the team.
“Our students come forward and say, Hey, why can’t we have a flag football team, there are other teams around,” said Dr. Whitaker. “So, Ben Drake, our athletic director said if you can get enough people, we’ll get er done. That’s the process. We have a number of other teams who are interested in playing, it’s a very popular sport that’s growing in popularity. And I know, I’ve spoken to a number of local superintendents who are interested in starting teams. And so I would anticipate we will have both local and sectional competitions.”
Both teams were approved by the Board of Education and are expected to hit the field this spring.
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