“We were very, very happy,” said Dale Gabor of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) regarding the first year of wheelchair track and field events.

The OHSAA introduced wheelchair events in the 100, 400 and 800 meters, along with the shot put, during the 2012-13 school year. According to Gabor, the OHSAA spent a year learning the rules and regulations based on the Paralympic Committee Guidelines.

Gabor said that the association will continue to sponsor these events, but with a few minor changes to issues they discovered during their first year.

“The fans gave them a standing ovation,” Gabor said. “They were really into it. It was well-received.”

Now, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) will be adding Unified track and field events for the first time in the 2013-14 school year.

“The goal is inclusion,” said Lee Lonzo of the IHSAA.  “To have everyone compete for their team and for their school.”

Unified sports are different than just hosting wheelchair events. In Unified Sports, a student with an intellectual disability is paired with a student without a disability. Unified Sports require that for every Unified partner entered in an event, a Unified athlete must be entered as well.

All athletes competing earn points for their team. So if a runner placed first he would receive 10 points, if a runner placed last he would receive one point – making it a team sport and not about the individual.

“There’s no individual awards, just team awards,” Lonzo said. “It’s about working together and training together as a team.”

[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE FEBRUARY 2014 EDITION OF “HIGH SCHOOL TODAY”]