BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Women of all abilities from across North America competed in Grand Rapids for the second Women’s Unified Three-on-Three Basketball Championship at the Unified Sports and Inclusion Center.
The event aims to expand opportunities for women in sports while promoting inclusion beyond the basketball court.
Building opportunities for women in sports
The championship began in Indiana last year as an opportunity to raise awareness of women in sports and bring together teams from different areas. Beyond competition, organizers wanted athletes to build relationships, showcase their abilities and advocate for women in sports.
Ten teams from across North America participated in this year’s championship. Each lineup includes two Special Olympics athletes and one Unified partner, bringing women with and without intellectual disabilities together on the court.
Tournament chair M. Feif Gallagher said those relationships are an important part of Unified basketball. Unified partners can help direct athletes at times, while Special Olympics athletes also have opportunities to take the lead. Organizers believe the personal connections they build can help elevate their performance.
Finding confidence on and off the court
Among the competitors is Team Michigan’s Rose Berglund, who is participating in the championship for the second year.
“I love the joy of it. I love having new people come, and I love the crowd. It gets us all hyped up, and it’s all for fun.”
Berglund has played basketball for 14 years. She said the championship has helped her during a difficult time in her life.
“It’s been helping me because I’ve been dealing with a struggle, and this year has been really hard and I’ve been working on trying to get my positivity going and my confidence up.”
Her father, Tom, said he has seen his daughter grow through the friendships she has built.
“It’s given her something to shoot for, and just the camaraderie is where I think she’s grown the most.”
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Developing athletes beyond basketball
Organizers hope to make that kind of personal growth possible for more women beyond the court.
Athletes have opportunities throughout the event to improve their basketball skills, identify their strengths and learn how they can contribute to their teams. Gallagher said athletes had played at least eight games by the evening of the championship games, giving them opportunities to develop their skills over the course of the tournament.
The championship is about more than basketball. Athletes had a chance to share their ideas about what could help more women participate in sports. Organizers are using their feedback as they look for ways to expand opportunities for female athletes.
Athletes also took part in health education during the event.
“We were very intentional about how we correlated this whole week, and the athletes had an opportunity with a partnership through SHEFIT to come in and to have a fit for a bra, and to learn about breast health, which will also impact their performance
Looking toward the future
Organizers plan to continue the championship for a third year and are considering where the next event will be held. Gallagher said the goal is to continue growing the championship while developing women, raising community awareness and providing sports and educational opportunities.
For Berglund, the championship also provides an opportunity to encourage other women.
“For the girls out there, you can do this, you can do this.”
More information about Special Olympics Michigan and programs held at the Unified Sports and Inclusion Center is available here.
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