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12-21-2025 12:22am
Hoops and Heart at Westwood High School Unified Basketball vs Faculty Game
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Thanks to Darcie Fisher and Westwood Public Schools for contributing this article to Westwood Minute.
The stands in the Westwood High School (WHS) gymnasium were packed recently for a basketball game between the WHS Unified Basketball Team and a team made up of about 15 WHS faculty and staff.
The Unified Basketball Team consists of high school players with and without intellectual disabilities – referred to as athletes and unified partners. This year a good number of unified partners are varsity basketball players.
“At the start of the season, a lot of the partners and athletes didn’t know each other,” said WHS teacher Virginia Booth, who coaches the Unified Team. “But they grew to form genuine relationships as the season went on. The staff versus Unified game felt like such a beautiful culmination of all of that.”
WHS Assistant Principal Tom Millett was the game’s announcer.
“This has been my favorite event of the year,” said Millett. “I’ve been involved with the Massachusetts Special Olympics for most of my life because my older brother is an athlete. The magic of the Westwood game was that the planning around it had inclusion fully in mind.”
Millett said the game was planned in the same way as the final home game for any WHS varsity team.
Photo courtesy of Westwood Public Schools. The Westwood High School Unified Basketball Team recently competed against Westwood High School staff and faculty at a basketball game in the high school gymnasium.“The day before, the art club created signs for each athlete, just like all our seniors would have on Senior Night,” said Millett. “We had cheerleaders. We introduced the team before the game. The gym cheered for Unified and playfully jeered when the faculty scored. To maximize the impact, I channeled the delivery style of SportsCenter and the way the Celtics announce after every basket.”
Booth said her story is very similar to Millett’s.
“My brother loved participating in Special Olympics and Little League Challenger events as we were growing up, and I loved helping out, too,” said Booth. “The games and meets were always such fun, joyfully chaotic events, and I enjoy being able to participate again.”
The game was held during a “flex block” at WHS, and students could opt into the game if they wanted to attend. Both Booth and Millett are appreciative of how full the stands were.
“The fact that so much of the school came out to watch the game was heartwarming,” said Booth. “Getting to see people who have maybe felt socially isolated in their past get recognized and celebrated for the complex human beings they are was so special.”
The Unified Basketball team won the contest. This was the first year this game was held between the players and faculty. In previous years students from the Unified team played against the Boys and Girls Varsity basketball teams.
Photo courtesy of Westwood Public Schools. The Westwood High School Unified Basketball Team - high school players with and without intellectual disabilities – won its match against Westwood High School faculty and staff.
