Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game
Students packed the stands in the Fort Myers High School gym at noon Thursday cheering on athletes from the Life Skills program who were playing with partners in the annual Inclusion Basketball Game.
The annual unified basketball game is the biggest event of Inclusion Week, which celebrates special needs students who are traditionally excluded from school sports and activities.
"My favorite part is probably just getting to see the kids' reactions. When the whole crowd is celebrating with them, it's the happiest I've seen them which I think is really cool. It's bigger than any pep rally, any football game. This is the biggest event of the year."
FMHS Senior Jake Henke, a partner on the Unified Basketball team for the past two years
Fort Myers has been playing this special game since 2015. About six years ago the FHSAA adopted Unified Sports with some Lee County schools now offering unified basketball, bowling and track.
"Now that the Special Olympics is doing a lot more whole-school engagement and competitive sports, we've kind of turned it into a homecoming week," said Unified Basketball Coach Garret Copeland. "It's a week that we celebrate from Monday through Friday. We do dress-up days, we do themes, and really, this is the big event. This is the one that everybody gets excited for."
The partners, enrolled in traditional classes at the school, play on the team as helpers to try to get every one of the Life Skills students a chance to score.
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Noah Benzon celebrates a shot during the Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Malachi Minks tries to stop a shot by Manny Rosario during the Fort Myers High School annual Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Cheerleaders from the Fort Myers High School life skills classes perform at halftime of annual Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024. The game is a part of the festivities of Inclusion Week, which celebrates special needs students that are traditionally excluded from school sports and activities.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Cody Baguidy celebrates a basket during the Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Maddie Reid takes a shot during the Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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T-Mike Shackleford celebrates a basket in the Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Steven Simpson tries for a rebound during the Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Malachi Minks high fives partner Jake Henke after scoring a basket during the Fort Myers High School annual Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Manny Rosario takes a shot during the Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Fort Myers High School senior Jacob Paquin plays the National Anthem before the annual Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
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Manny Rosario celebrates scoring during the Fort Myers High School Inclusion Basketball Game on Thursday, March 7, 2024. The game is a part of the festivities of Inclusion Week, which celebrates special needs students that are traditionally excluded from school sports and activities.
Amanda Inscore Whittamore/WGCU / WGCU
Senior Jake Henke has been a partner on the Unified Basketball team for the past two years.
"My favorite part is probably just getting to see the kids' reactions," Henke said. "When the whole crowd is celebrating with them, it's the happiest I've seen them which I think is really cool. It's bigger than any pep rally, any football game. This is the biggest event of the year."
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