Northport High School Unified Sports Inducted into District’s Hall of Fame
By Kayleigh Milton, Long Island Regional Storyteller
A plaque featuring the program’s motto, “Where every athlete belongs, every voice matters and every moment inspires,” will now be displayed inside Northport High School.
What began in 2017 with just nine students has grown into one of Suffolk County’s premier Unified Sports programs.
On May 21, 2026, Northport High School’s Unified Sports program was inducted into the Northport-East Northport Athletic Hall of Fame during halftime of the team’s final Unified Basketball game of the season. This recognition celebrated more than athletic achievement, it honored a decade of building an inclusive community where students of all abilities belong, compete, and thrive together.
Northport High School has been a Unified Champion School for multiple years and earned Special Olympics National Banner recognition in 2022. Today, the school offers Unified Basketball, Unified Bowling, and the Sparkle Squad, an inclusive dance team that performs during Unified Basketball halftime shows. This year also marked the 10th season of both Unified Basketball and the Sparkle Squad.
This season, 48 students signed up for Unified Basketball, including more than 25 Unified partners. To ensure every student had the opportunity to participate, the coaching staff introduced a practice squad for new partner players. These students attended every practice and home game, cheering on their teammates while preparing to become active participants on the court.
That same commitment to inclusion can be seen in the Sparkle Squad, Northport High School’s inclusive dance team. The Sparkle Squad began with eight students performing at a football game and has since grown into a team of more than 40 students. Many Unified Basketball athletes and partners also participate, giving students another opportunity to perform, connect, and celebrate together.
After attending a Special Olympics Youth Summit with other schools in the region, student leaders brought the idea of Unified Bowling back to Northport, working with their coaches and the school’s Best Buddies program to launch the team.
At the time, there were no nearby schools competing in Unified Bowling. Northport partnered with its varsity bowling teams while working alongside Section XI representatives to introduce neighboring districts to the sport. Huntington, Harborfields, and later Patchogue-Medford joined the effort, and together the schools hosted Suffolk County’s first official Unified Bowling tournament with more than 40 student-athletes. The following year, Unified Bowling became an official varsity sport through Section XI.
The Hall of Fame induction recognizes Northport High School’s leadership in growing Unified Athletics throughout Suffolk County and the lasting impact the program has had on the school community.
The impact of Unified Athletics extends far beyond competition. Athletes and Unified partners cheer one another on at sporting events, eat lunch together, participate in Best Buddies and local respite programs, and build friendships that continue outside of school.
The school’s commitment to inclusion continues to grow each year. This spring, the Northport-East Northport School District celebrated Special Olympics Choose to Include Day across all seven district schools during Wellness Week, reinforcing the values of acceptance and belonging throughout the entire community.
From nine students on a basketball team to a Hall of Fame program that has inspired schools across Suffolk County, Northport High School Unified Athletics continues to demonstrate the power of inclusion by creating opportunities, building friendships, and proving that when everyone belongs, the entire community benefits.
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