Each Sunday, from January to March, you will find almost 80 children gathered in the Emerson School gymnasium in Bolton, playing basketball. It is an eclectic mixture of kids from Harvard, Bolton, Stow, and surrounding towns that make up this group, known as the Nashoba Unified Sports League. The not-for-profit league, the idea of Bolton resident Bob Moalli, pairs typical age-mate partners with special-needs athletes. Moalli, who has a special needs son, attended a similar program in Sudbury and felt that the Nashoba and Harvard communities could benefit as well.

From left: volunteers and players Brittany Lee, Sydney Meininger, Amanda Sundheimer, and Riley Allard. (Courtesy photo)

Moalli, who runs the program with Joan Finger and LeeAnn Brennan, uses volunteers age 8 and older to assist and guide the special athletes so they have an opportunity to participate in a team sport. Each session incorporates basketball fundamentals, social skills, and scrimmaging. The initiative is about more than kids honing their ball skills. Many of the special needs children in the program don't attend their neighborhood school and have little to no contact with other kids in their own community. The league allows them to connect with their peers on a local level. While many extracurricular activities are intended to include special-needs children, the Unified Sports Program is designed specifically for them.

"We created the program to foster interaction between typical and special-needs kids outside of school. It gives people in the community an opportunity to meet them and get to know them. The kids also get exercise, have fun, and develop a sense of camaraderie. This program has changed the lives of many of the players and volunteers," says co-organizer Finger.

One person who has been deeply impacted by his volunteer work with the program is Bromfield graduate Dan Ockene. "I started volunteering in this program while I was at Bromfield," he says. "These kids really enjoy coming out here, and I love getting to know them. I'm a freshman at Curry College now and I am majoring in sociology. I am planning on working with young people with disabilities. That's how much these kids have inspired me. I hope to see other students at Bromfield step up and continue to support this program."

From left:, Nadir Haukour, Dan Okene, co-organizer Joan Finger, Blake Korn, Brendan Aylward, Sebastian Lipman, and Jeff Yates. (Courtesy photo)

Currently, there are 12 Harvard residents who participate in the program, which also includes a fall soccer season. Jayne Rowe, of Woodchuck Hill Road, is the mother of special athlete and Bromfield senior, Matthew.

"I can't say enough about this program," she says. "It has been so positive for Matthew. He makes connections with kids from town and when he sees them he gives them a high-five. It makes him feel really good."

Isabel Wells, of Still River Road, couldn't agree more. Her 11-year-old daughter, Sydney, is also a special athlete. "Allowing Sydney the opportunity to participate in a sport means that she can add something to the conversation at school on Monday morning when her classmates are talking about a baseball game or a soccer game or whatever it was that they did over the weekend," says Wells. "She has made friends in the sports program with children from other schools, and participating in the program each season allows Sydney to maintain those friendships. Sydney also really enjoys the interaction and attention she gets from the volunteer athlete she is paired up with each practice."

Nashoba Unified Sports program practices Sundays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. for winter basketball and fall soccer. The group relies solely on private funding and community support. To find out more about the initiative as a volunteer or special athlete, or to make a donation, contact Bob Moalli at BMoalli@Comcast.net, or by phone at 978-985-0038; or Joan Finger at zootergroup@rcn.com or by phone at 978-337-5132 or 978-779-6046.