NYC Middle Schools See Tremendous Growth
Making Middle Schools More Enjoyable
Special Olympics New York impacts young teens in NYC District 75 schools
By Randy Robertson, NYC and Hudson Valley Regional Storyteller
New York, NY – For young teens with intellectual disabilities, navigating life in middle school can be a challenge dealing with peer pressure, anxiety, and the real possibility of getting left behind socially and academically.
Special Olympics New York is working to make a positive difference in the lives of middle schoolers by collaborating with District 75 schools throughout New York City to give teens opportunities for engagement, inclusion, and competition. Participation among 6th through 8th graders has grown quickly over the last two years.
“Middle School is an important time in students’ lives, when they develop skills,” said John Rodriguez, who coaches a District 75 middle school basketball team at PS277Q in Queens. “We take that very seriously. These three years of middle school really fly quickly so we have a limited time to make an impact.”
Rodriguez said that Special Olympics New York was instrumental in the success of the new interscholastic competitions. The spring basketball program started two years ago with just a handful of school teams playing a five-game schedule, with uniforms provided by Special Olympics New York.
The league grew to 14 schools playing an eight-game schedule in spring 2026, including at least one middle school team from each of the city’s five boroughs. While the first season ended with a playoff game in a small local gym, this past season’s playoffs were contested on the bright, shiny, and spacious courts of Baruch College in late June.
“We’re really proud of the progress made with the middle schools last season,” said Fatoumata Ouattara, the NYC Interim Director of Program, School & Community for Special Olympics New York. “The basketball finals at Baruch College were inspiring and fun for everyone. I’m excited to see more schools get involved at the middle school level in the upcoming school year.”
On a recent morning at the Hunter’s Point Community Middle School gym, assistant coach Billy Davis worked with Rodriguez to lead back-to-back basketball practices for nearly two dozen middle school students learning the fundamentals of game. “You have to learn the game in middle school if you want to play well in high school,” said Davis.
Rodriguez attributes growing student interest, in part, to a website the team created, that tracks the basketball league scores and standings.
“Students were excited about it, and we saw a positive shift,” Rodriguez recalled. “A lot more students wanted to join.”
Rodriguez said he’s been contacting coaches, teachers, and administrators at District 75 schools across the city for the past year to encourage additional growth in teams comprised fully of students with intellectual disabilities.
As we move through the summer and look forward to the upcoming 2026-2027 school year, Rodriguez is optimistic that the basketball league will add several more teams in the spring. Before then, he’s working with District 75 and Special Olympics New York to add middle school soccer and floor ball leagues, possibly as soon as this coming school year, because some schools have expressed interest.
Rodriguez and Davis noted that students get excited competing against other schools, traveling to other gyms, putting on school uniforms, and playing basketball in a competitive environment. The impact lasts long after the final horn blows.
“It’s so rewarding to see our students grow, and in some cases, move to a less restrictive environment after participating in our program,” Rodriguez said. “I love it. If we could double the number of teams next season that would be awesome. The more schools involved, the stronger we are.”
SHARE THIS: