WORCESTER, Mass. - The Unified basketball program at Worcester Technical High School pairs 12 athletes with various disabilities with 12 student partners, and a few coaches who are teachers in the building. It's a program that has so many rewards for everyone involved, as relationships are built, friendships are made, and self-confidence grows. 

"The goal of Unified sports through Special Olympics is to build community, to break the ties of being disabled or different," said Melissa Ayantola, special education teacher and Unified coach at Worcester Tech. "And to bridge the gap so students with and without disabilities can be on a common playing field."

"Oh I have an amazing time at basketball," said Unified player on the Worcester Tech team, Evan "The Blocker" Francia. "It's great I feel really great about myself being the blocker, it's a miracle. I love coming to high school. I feel very happy when I come to this school."

"It's really fun, it's also really competitive," said Unified player on the Worcester Tech team Aliah Figuroa. "But I feel like Unified basketball is such a great sport. Other people should try doing it and the people that help us are really great people."

"Everyone deserves a friend, everyone deserves to have someone they can trust," said Unifield liason and health teacher at Worcester Tech Bethany Shea. "And our athletes, our students with disabilities they love it, they talk about the partners. The friends they make, they sit with them at lunch."