- Hammers met Special Olympics Washington Unified Sports football team on Thursday
- Scheme mentors youngsters with and without intellectual disabilities through sport
- Team represents Seattle Sounders' Community Outreach Programme in national competitions
The players and coaches watched the Hammers being put through their paces before engaging in a question and answer session and taking photographs with Slaven Bilic’s squad. Having met the professionals, the Unified Sports side then took to the VMAC pitches themselves for a kick-around.
Program Initiatives Director Victoria Mehren explained how United Sports football – or soccer, as it is known in the United States – scheme helps youngsters with and without intellectual disabilities join forces to promote social inclusion.
“This team represents an all-star conglomerate of partners with and without intellectual disabilities playing and training together on the same team, breaking down barriers and stereotypes,” Mehren told West Ham TV.
“We’ve come a long way in the last few years. People with intellectual disabilities can face challenges with employment, being integrated members of the community and having equal opportunities, so United Sport helps to break down misconceptions and help them to excel on the field and in the community, life and school as well.”
United Sport helps to break down misconceptions and help the players to excel on the field and in the community, life and school
The Special Olympics Washington Unified Sports team is part of the Seattle Sounders Community Outreach programme, which is headed up by former Sounders player Roger Levesque.
“We’re thrilled to be at VMAC to give our Special Olympics Unified team a chance to meet West Ham,” Levesque began. “Our organisation is based on teaming up players with and without disabilities, focusing on the mutual respect of sport. To be here and see West Ham United in action and to have the chance to meet and talk with the players is a great experience for our guys.
“This is a select team that Special Olympics put together through their programmes throughout Washington, building that mutual respect and combining it with the physical activity that comes with it.
“Soccer is a very inclusive sport in its own right and for Special Olympics to add this programme has been of great value to the organisation and these students.”
Levesque, who made more than 100 first-team appearances for the club between 2003 and 2011, said the Sounders were involved in a wide range of community schemes around the Emerald City and Evergreen State.
This weekend, the Sounders team will travel to California to take on their counterparts representing the LA Galaxy.
“Sounders FC focuses on youth development and there are so many great organisations throughout Washington using soccer to provide opportunities. We have great partnerships like this one with Special Olympics to support these programmes.”
“We’re thrilled to be at VMAC to give our Special Olympics Unified team a chance to meet West Ham,” Levesque began. “Our organisation is based on teaming up players with and without disabilities, focusing on the mutual respect of sport. To be here and see West Ham United in action and to have the chance to meet and talk with the players is a great experience for our guys.
“This is a select team that Special Olympics put together through their programmes throughout Washington, building that mutual respect and combining it with the physical activity that comes with it.
“Soccer is a very inclusive sport in its own right and for Special Olympics to add this programme has been of great value to the organisation and these students.”
Levesque, who made more than 100 first-team appearances for the club between 2003 and 2011, said the Sounders were involved in a wide range of community schemes around the Emerald City and Evergreen State.
This weekend, the Sounders team will travel to California to take on their counterparts representing the LA Galaxy.
“Sounders FC focuses on youth development and there are so many great organisations throughout Washington using soccer to provide opportunities. We have great partnerships like this one with Special Olympics to support these programmes.”