Coach Spotlight: Lisa Bocchino Builds a Culture of Inclusion Through Unified Champion Schools

For over a decade, Coach Lisa Bocchino of New Hyde Park has been a driving force behind the growth of Unified Champion Schools on Long Island through Special Olympics New York. What began as a conversation has evolved into a thriving, inclusive community where students of all abilities come together as teammates, leaders, and friends.

New Hyde Park’s commitment to inclusion has helped it earn recognition as a National Banner Unified Champion School, one of only a select number of schools across Long Island to receive this distinction.

Bocchino’s journey with Unified Champion Schools started nearly 10 years ago, when her school’s Athletic Director at the time, TJ Burke, now the District AD, approached her with the idea of bringing the program to New Hyde Park. As the advisor of Best Buddies, she was already deeply connected with students who would benefit from expanded opportunities for inclusion.

“We talked about Unified, watched videos, and really explored the philosophy behind it,” Bocchino recalled. “I knew with our Best Buddies chapter being so strong, we would have the interest to make it work.”

After meeting with student leaders and seeing their excitement firsthand, Bocchino helped bring the vision to life and laid the foundation for a program that continues to grow today.

Her motivation to coach stemmed from a simple but powerful realization. Students needed more opportunities to connect beyond the classroom.

“I saw the connections our students had, but there weren’t enough after-school opportunities, especially in sports,” she said. “Basketball was a natural starting point, and we even added a cheerleading team to make sure more students could be involved.”

That commitment to access and participation reflects the core of Unified Champion Schools and creates spaces where everyone belongs.

Bocchino believes programs like Unified Champion Schools are essential to building stronger school communities.

“It promotes inclusion, leadership, patience, confidence, and cooperation,” she explained. “Students are playing together as peers. You are not separating them by ability. It strengthens the entire school community.”

The impact goes far beyond the game. Through Unified Champion Schools, Bocchino has witnessed friendships form in places they might not have otherwise, including hallways, cafeterias, and everyday school life.

“Students who may have never socialized before are now talking in the halls and sitting together at lunch,” she said. “That’s what makes this so special.”

For Bocchino, inclusion is more than a concept. It is a lived experience.

“Inclusion means breaking down barriers, removing stigmas, and creating an environment where everyone truly belongs,” she said. “It is about being valued, respected, and heard, not just in sports, but at all times.”

Over the years, she has watched the program’s impact continue well beyond graduation day.

“When students come back after they have graduated just to watch a game, that really stays with me,” Bocchino shared. “It shows how much this meant to them and how it impacted their lives in ways they did not expect.”

As Unified Champion Schools continues to grow across Long Island, Bocchino remains grateful to have been part of its foundation and proud of the community it has built.

“I feel extremely lucky to be part of Unified for so many years,” she said. “It is not just the students who are impacted. It is all of us.”

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