CEDARBURG, Wis. — A basketball team at Cedarburg High School is finding success both on and off the court.
The Cedarburg Unified basketball team brings together students with and without disabilities to play on the same court. It’s a re-tooled type of Special Olympics basketball now becoming popular across the country.
Team leaders said it is the first such program in Ozaukee County.
Senior Jack Roosevelt has Down’s syndrome. This is his second season as part of the team. He scored his first basket last week.
"I've never been so proud of myself in my entire life,” Roosevelt said.
Watch: Cedarburg students find community through unified basketball team
One of Jack’s best friends on the 'UBall' team is fellow senior Milli Shell. She helps run the Best Buddies program at the high school. And while her first sport is lacrosse, she decided to take her skills to the court this year.
"It gives us an opportunity to let them really be the stars of the show,” Shell said.
This is the fourth year of the program. Special education teacher Darwin Peters helped get the program off the ground.
"I'm a fan of sports. I'm a fan of basketball, and I want to give these guys opportunities just like any other kid,” Peters said. “It's hard to decipher whether or not it's a standard varsity game or one of our varsity games."
Cedarburg will play Milwaukee-Washington at 7 p.m. Wednesday before heading to the state tournament next week.
"It's not about winning or losing. It's about that inclusivity," Shell said.
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