Building Community Through Unified Esports

At Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado, inclusion is not a slogan on a poster or a paragraph in a handbook. It is a lived experience – visible in hallways, echoed in assemblies and most recently celebrated with a state championship banner earned by the school’s Unified Esports team.

When the team captured the inaugural state title sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association, it marked more than a competitive milestone. It represented years of intentional work to ensure students of all abilities are not simply welcomed into the school community, but centered within it.
 

A Championship That Meant More For Unified Esports

For head coach Kelton Coppinger, the title carried special weight.

“It was the first CHSAA state championship Smoky has had in a long time in any sport,” he said. “Our kids brought that home. That’s a big deal.”

Unified teams at Smoky Hill have long experienced success through Special Olympics Colorado. But earning a CHSAA state championship placed Unified Esports squarely within the same competitive framework as every other sanctioned activity in the building. To the athletes, a title is a title; however, to the broader community, the CHSAA banner sent a clear message: Unified belongs.

That visibility is central to the mission of Special Olympics Colorado. Maricela Shukie, senior director of Unified Champion Schools, said sanctioned recognition is at the heart of the work. Unified programs strive to ensure students with intellectual disabilities have the same developmental opportunities as their peers – the chance to build character, experience joy and strive for excellence. When a Unified team brings home a CHSAA trophy, she noted, it reinforces that everyone belongs.

Assistant coach Stephanie Sturm remembers the final moments vividly. The team had led throughout the competition, but a confusing on-screen display made it appear they were trailing.

“When we realized we’d won, we had this quiet moment, just the six of us,” Sturm said. “It wasn’t a huge celebration at first. But that quiet moment meant everything.”

The next day, the celebration was anything but quiet. The championship was announced over the intercom. The team was honored at an all-school assembly. Students filled the gym and cheered for minutes.

“They were celebrated just like any other championship team,” Sturm said. “And that mattered.”
 

From the Margins to the Mainstream

Principal Dr. Andre Bala believes the recognition reflects something deeper than a trophy.

“At Smoky, diversity is our greatest strength,” Bala said. “When students walk into this building, we’re not asking them to fit one mold. We’re asking them to be themselves and contribute.”

Unified programming, he explained, is not an add-on.

“It’s not, ‘Oh, and we have Unified,’” Bala said. “Unified is part of the culture, and in many ways, it’s leading the culture.”

That leadership extends beyond esports. Unified athletes at Smoky Hill compete in basketball, flag football, track, golf and bowling. They run a school coffee shop. They lead World Awareness programming. They attend a Unified prom. Most importantly, they are recognized, publicly and proudly, for their accomplishments.

“They’re treated like rock stars,” Coppinger said. “Kids know their names. They high-five them in the hallway. That’s acceptance.”
 

Building the System

Unified success at Smoky Hill is not accidental. It is built on intentional systems, administrative support and a shared belief that every student deserves access to meaningful participation.

Coppinger credits school leadership for providing resources and trust. When the program needed equipment, including Nintendo Switch consoles for competition in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, administrators approved purchases and supported fundraising efforts.

“There’s a reason our Unified program thrives,” Coppinger said. “We don’t get pushback. We get support.”

During the team’s first season, unreliable internet connections disrupted competition. Working with district technology staff, the school created a dedicated esports Wi-Fi network to ensure smooth play during official matches.

“Figure out your internet before you get started,” Sturm said with a laugh. “But also trust your athletes. They know the game.”

Trust is central to the model. Coaches provide structure and emphasize sportsmanship, but once competition begins, student-athletes and their Unified partners take the lead.

The competitive platform itself is designed with that partnership in mind.

Aaron Kelley, senior marketing manager for PlayVS, the provider for CHSAA Unified Esports, said Unified competition intentionally builds relationships between students with and without intellectual disabilities. Partners are not “helpers,” he emphasized, but genuine teammates – a structure that fosters authentic connections and strengthens belonging across campus.
 

The Power of Partners

Unified sports rely on partnerships between students with and without intellectual disabilities. At Smoky Hill, those partnerships are intentionally cultivated. Coppinger recruits student-athletes from other varsity teams during their off-seasons; students who understand competition and model sportsmanship.

“They’re not just there to check a box,” he said. “They’re there to compete, to mentor and to grow.”

Interest has grown steadily. Sturm’s Unified physical education class routinely fills. Students email counselors asking to join. Partners recruit friends, who often remain involved for the rest of their high school careers.

“It’s not, ‘those are ILC (Integrated Learning Center) students,’” Sturm said. “They’re our peers. They’re our friends.”
 

Access Creates Opportunity

For Bala, the Unified Esports program reflects two essential principles of education-based activities: access and opportunity.

“Access means you have the resources, the space, the vision and the belief that kids can,” he said. “If the door doesn’t exist, build the door.”

Opportunity follows access. Provide culturally relevant engagement, like esports, and students will respond.

“It’s something kids want to do,” Bala said. “So, let’s create a mechanism for them to engage, compete and have fun.”

Athletic department support is equally critical. Balancing space, staffing and scheduling requires coordination, but at Smoky Hill, Unified is viewed as equal to every other sport.

“If we say we’re a school of inclusion and belonging, that has to mean every kid has the same opportunity,” Athletic Director David Benedict noted. “It’s what needs to be done.”
 

Lessons Beyond the Game

While championships generate headlines, the deeper impact of Unified Esports lies in the lessons it teaches the entire student body.

“Our Unified students show what they’re capable of,” Bala said. “That makes other students ask, ‘What am I capable of?’”

During Smoky Hill’s annual World Awareness events, Unified students present to peers about how they learn and how they want to be treated. Partners share how the experience has shaped their own growth.

“We’re just like everyone else, we just learn differently,” Coppinger said. “And it changes mindsets.”

Those moments reflect growth that cannot be measured in trophies: confidence, voice and self-advocacy.
 

The Bigger Banner

The banner hanging in Smoky Hill’s gymnasium tells only part of the story. Yes, it represents a state championship, but it also represents something more enduring: a school community that has chosen mainstream belonging.

At Smoky Hill, Unified students are not a separate program. They are the program. They compete. They lead. They are celebrated. In doing so, they challenge every student and adult in the building to expand their understanding of ability, potential and acceptance.

“Inclusion is everything,” Bala said. “It’s about all kids, every single kid who comes into this building.”

The trophy may be large. The applause may be loud. But the most significant victory is quieter and more lasting: a culture where every student is seen, valued and empowered to compete – and to belong.
 

Unified Esports State Championship

Coming off its inaugural state championship last year, Smoky Hill will return to Localhost in search of its second-straight Unified Esports State Championship for Mario Kart. 

The Unified Buffaloes Green team of Zachary Thomason, Reese Nuwash, Alfonzo Carson and Flynn Latta will take on the Grr Raptors from Grand River Academy. That team is comprised of Hunter Kolenc, Stance Seely, Robynn Cobb and Alexcis Murphy. 

The Unified Mario Kart finals will be played in person at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 30 at Localhost in Lakewood, and will be the first of three state championship games to be played that day. The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate final will be played at 1:30 p.m., followed by the Mario Kart final at 4 p.m.