Beginning in the 1994-95 school year, the Office of Athletics unveiled the newly developed Allied Sports Program. Modeled after the Special Olympics’ "Unified Sports" program, Allied Sports is a totally inclusive program that affords students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports along-side their non-disabled peers.
This program was designed for students who are interested in playing a sport but do not necessarily possess the skill or desire to play on a varsity or junior varsity team. There are three Allied sports offered, one per season. Soccer is offered in the Fall, bocce is offered in the Winter, and softball is offered in the Spring. All team activities are co-ed with the appropriate rule modifications to ensure a safe and successful experience for all students, regardless of ability.
The goals of the Allied Sports Program and those of the existing interscholastic athletic program are similar. Both programs strive to teach students good sportsmanship, to build positive self-esteem, to acquire new sport-specific skills, to improve physical fitness, to foster new friendships, and to develop the concept of teamwork.
This program has helped athletes of all ability levels to participate in competitive athletic activities. Athletes with and without disabilities have come to appreciate the value and strengths of each other as individuals. Allied Sports fosters a greater understanding, respect, and acceptance of individuals with disabilities through open lines of communication and forming bonds of friendship.
The Allied Sports Program in Baltimore County high schools will provide:
- Co-ed teams with a recommended ratio of 50% students with disabilities to 50% students without disabilities;
- A committee that will develop rules, guidelines, and modifications for each Allied Sport to ensure greater student participation and success within the program;
- Interaction and cooperation with other schools to provide assistance in implementing Allied Sports Programs in other high schools on a countywide basis;
- The opportunity to participate in soccer, bowling, and softball;
- Transportation for teams to travel in order to compete against other schools;
- Team uniforms for each participant;
- Support and acceptance of the Allied Sports Program within each school and community;
- Volunteer assistants from the school, the community, and the colleges for students requiring one-on-one instruction.
Participants in the Allied Sports Program will be provided the opportunity to:
- Participate in competitive sports in a fun, comfortable, and safe environment;
- Develop new friendships by increasing interaction and communication among students in the school through a common interest in athletics;
- Participate in school events, such as team picture day, pep rallies, and sports awards banquets;
- Meet and compete against students from other schools in Baltimore County that provide an Allied Sports Program;
- Participate in their school’s interscholastic athletic program;
- Develop a feeling of self-worth and importance through working together as a team;
- Represent their school in a positive manner by demonstrating their understanding of good sportsmanship and citizenship;
- Develop an understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to participate on a sports team;
- Practice and apply previously learned knowledge and skills in a season’s end culminating activity;
- Provide a positive physical and emotional outlet for improving the level of personal physical fitness;
- Attain and develop an interest in activities that have the potential for lifetime sports participation.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to be able to participate in Allied Sports, a student must never have participated on a varsity or junior varsity team. Students who have played varsity or junior varsity sports may volunteer to be a manager, statistician, or assistant to the coach. All participants must turn in a completed medical examination, parent permission, informed consent, and photographic consent forms prior to their first practices. Students are academically ineligible if they have less than a 2.0 grade point average with no more than one failing, incomplete, or medical grade in the preceding quarter. Fall academic eligibility is determined by the 4th quarter grading period from the preceding year. This provision does not apply to incoming ninth grade students for initial fall eligibility. Certificate bound students eligibility is determined by the number of failing grades (no more than one). GPA is not a factor.
Team practices are held each day after school.