Unified basketball game promotes inclusion and connection at Ferris High School

SPOKANE, Wash. — Fans and players gathered together for the Unified basketball game between Ferris and Lewis and Clark Thursday afternoon.

Both basketball teams are made up of students with and without disabilities and are part of the larger Unified program that can be found in many high schools across the region.

The program hopes to form connections between students who may ordinarily pass each other in the halls.

Cali Jones is a junior at Ferris and the current Unified Club president. Her sister Katya Jones is a senior and also plays on the team.

“I think my favorite part about Unified is probably just getting to spend time with people in a place where there’s no judgement and everybody just wants to be there and have fun,” Cali said.

Jones first joined Unified as a freshman to get to know students in her sister Katya’s classes.

“I am so happy, Unified Club makes me so happy,” Katya said.

Now, three years later, the Jones sisters have built a community at the school.

“There’s not a lot of things we can do together so it’s awesome to be in the Unified Club and be a part of that,” Cali said.

On the basketball court, the community and fun can be seen in every rebound, three-pointer attempt and through the cheers from the coaches and teammates on the bench.

“I truly hope they realize that this is bigger than themselves,” said Unified Club advisor Karissa Jacobson.

Basketball isn’t the only activity offered by the Unified Club at Ferris High School. There is also soccer, bowling, karaoke and other community building events.

“We play the same games, we laugh at the same jokes, we do the same crafts,” Jacobson said.

On any given day, 20 to 100 students show up for Unified Club activities. Cali’s hope is that students like her and her sister can come together and form a friendship.

“Everybody’s a person and everybody just wants to have fun and be loved,” she said.