Unity on display at Unified jamboree

BELMONT — The gymnasium at Belmont High School was filled with enthusiasm. In the course of the day Saturday, several hundred people arrived to support the basketball team of their choice.

Players from seven high schools throughout the Lakes Region and nearby came to play in the fifth annual Lakes Region Unified Basketball Jamboree.

Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites athletes with intellectual disabilities, and those without, as teammates for training and competition.

The event was hosted by Belmont Unified.

 “Five years ago, while a student at Belmont High School, I became aware of the unified program, and thought - why don’t we have this,” said Belmont native Cassie Contigiani, “and conceived of it as a senior project.”

Contigiani, now a college senior in Maine, and former New Hampshire all-state athlete in several sports, has continued to do one of the many things she does well. She organized an event bringing together schools for a friendly competition. That meant finding volunteers to assist in the staffing of numerous positions of an event of this magnitude.

The theme of the volunteer challenge could be a resurfacing of the 1971 Sly and the Family Stone song “It’s A Family Affair.”

Contigiani commented “I am related to about 40 percent of Belmont, so I just called on my family for help. This result is the same now as it was five years ago.”  

The day’s first game set a tone, as natural rivals Gilford and host Belmont squared off. Christian Marrone of Belmont tossed in a left-hander for the first points, and Rachel Bradstreet returned the favor for Gilford… and the tournament was on its way.

In the course of the next six hours, boy and girl student-athletes from Laconia, Newfound, White Mountains, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Winnisquam, Gilford, and Belmont high schools did basketball battle in numerous games of 30 minutes.

Although final scores were of little importance, individual points and plays were loudly cheered for by the fans of the players and their teams.

Some players were experienced and had competed for their schools for up to five years, while others were relatively new to the process which mixes student athletes and their partners together on the court.

More from this section

Movies and TV shows casting in Portsmouth

Movies and TV shows casting in Portsmouth

+3

How gas prices have changed in New Hampshire in the last week

Josh Gardiner, a veteran of five years with Belmont, awed the crowd with his no-fear shots from downtown. After the jamboree, he said he was “loving it. Everyone does a really good job.”

For Gilford sophomores Sydney Rainville, and Jenny Laurendeau, this was their first opportunity playing unified and both found it rewarding. “This is awesome,” said Rainville, “it gives the kids an opportunity to play without major pressure and encourages them.”

Laurendeau agreed, adding “it is less competitive and a fun way to play sports." Speaking for herself and teammates, she called it friendly and open. “This makes my day,” she added, “I don’t play for myself, I play for the others.”

All was not basketball this day, as raffles were held as well as “chuck a bag” chances which gave members of the audience an opportunity to win prizes by tossing bean bags.

Not only could the Jamboree be seen in person, but Devin Poslusny, who graduated from Belmont last year and was home from Castleton University, used his technical skills to stream the event on YouTube – another first for the Belmont Unified Jamboree.

Melissa Hanrahan, joined by 10-year-old daughter Audrey, was proudly attired in a Winnisquam Unified T-shirt as she watched 18-year-old daughter Megan play. “The kids and everyone are so supportive and caring of each other, this gives them confidence,” Hanrahan said.

Belmont Athletic Director Paul Landau called unified sports “awesome, another way to get kids involved in sports.”

Laura Davies, 21, who has aged out of the program, is now a Belmont Unified assistant. “I have made many friends,” she said. “Playing unified has helped me in my daily work with other people.”

There were more than twenty volunteers moving the tournament along, including 2017 Belmont graduate Mariah Watson. “I have been helping out with the jamboree since the beginning,” she said. “It is a nice way for kids to play the game and have fun.”

Contigiani called the event a success, mentioning that she was soon leaving for Thomas College to continue planning a Unified Jamboree in Waterville, Maine.

She said the day’s event raised approximately $1,500 which will be donated to the Special Olympics of New Hampshire program, bringing the five-year total to “a little more than $10,000.”