Time was running out in the first half of Bellport High School’s game against Central Islip, on May 11, when Jacob Furino hoisted up a 3-point shot for the Clippers with all the confidence of an NBA star.

The ball went in and Furino, who went on to sink at least one other 3-pointer that day, basked in the cheers from the exuberant crowd of parents, students, teachers and school administrators, including South Country Schools superintendent Antonio Santana, Bellport High School principal Erika Della Rosa, and South Country athletic director Patrick Hayes, who filled much the bleachers in Bellport’s gym for the team’s last game of the season.

Furino is one of about 20 students on Bellport’s first-ever unified basketball team. The team, which is co-ed, combines special-needs students and general-education students.

“Playing a sport is just life-changing for these students,” said Tracy Kellerman, who teaches life skills at the high school and coaches the team with Peter Grossi. “It’s something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.”

For Furino, 18, it’s been an amazing opportunity to build confidence, make new friends, and experience being part of a team, his mother Laura Braun said.

“I feel like this is going to make a huge difference in his life,” she said.  

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics of New York developed the statewide unified sports program.
NYSPHSAA Section XI, the governing body for high school sports in Suffolk County, sanctions unified programs in two sports: basketball in the spring and bowling in the winter. 

At Bellport, the program has been so warmly received, the school is looking to possibly add a unified bowling team next winter, athletic director Hayes said.

“As you can see, it’s been a great success,” Hayes said, standing on the court after the game as the players were joined by their families, posed for photos, and waited excitedly for their post-game pizza party.

The team’s games have been well attended and attract support from Bellport’s other teams, whose players come to cheer them on.
“It’s a fantastic program that creates a sense of belonging for our students,” Santana said. “For us, every game was a victory.”

Kellerman, who also coaches the Bellport girls varsity soccer team, already knew many of the players from the life skills course she teaches.

She said her students have thrived being part of a team.

“It’s just been magic, really,” she said.

Asked what the measure was for determining whether the team’s first season was a success, Hayes had a ready answer.
“The amount of smiles this brings—that’s the metric,” he said.