Dartmouth hosts Special Olympics basketball jamboree
Halina Silvia keeps the ball away from an opposing player. Photos by Kat Sheridan
The Dartmouth team poses at the end. 
The athletes all high-five at the end of the game. 
Hayden Barriteau takes the shot. 
Andrew Camara takes the shot. 
A partner dribbles the ball. 
Joe Adao shoots the ball.
An athlete dribbles the ball down the court. 
Alexis Benjamin with the ball. 
Tatiana Carson gets ready to pass the ball. 
Brayden Stone dribbles the ball town the net. 
All of the schools. 
A player passes the ball. 
Alexis sings the National Anthem.
Halina Silvia keeps the ball away from an opposing player. Photos by Kat Sheridan
The Dartmouth team poses at the end.
The athletes all high-five at the end of the game.
Hayden Barriteau takes the shot.
Andrew Camara takes the shot.
A partner dribbles the ball.
Joe Adao shoots the ball.
An athlete dribbles the ball down the court.
Alexis Benjamin with the ball.
Tatiana Carson gets ready to pass the ball.
Brayden Stone dribbles the ball town the net.
All of the schools.
A player passes the ball.
Alexis sings the National Anthem.
The Dartmouth High School was filled with students playing basketball, both disabled and able-bodied, all playing together. Dartmouth hosted the annual Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association basketball jamboree.
“We were lucky enough to host another MIAA unified basketball jamboree,” said John Breault, one of the coaches for the unified teams, “A lot of great games and good sportsmanship on display, so it was a lot of fun.”
There were six schools in attendance; Dartmouth High School, Fairhaven High School, New Bedford High School, Old Rochester Regional High School, Westport High School and Wareham High School.
Each school faced off against another two schools. Dartmouth played against New Bedford High School and Fairhaven High School.
The games opened with Dartmouth athlete Alexis singing the national anthem. Another athlete read the athletes code and Breault read the coaches code.
Students from Dartmouth High School helped out with almost everything; refereeing, scorekeeping, introducing the event and cleaning up afterwards.
Dartmouth started by playing against New Bedford, where they lost 22 to 26. The second game was against Fairhaven, when they won 41 to 39.
“The kids played fantastic,” said Breault, “So it’s been fun.”
He added, “We were in two close games. We had a buzzer beater and then we had a great comeback and fell a bit short, but it was all smiles. That’s the fun part, whether you win or lose.”
During the ending ceremony, Denise from the Special Olympics asked if anyone accomplished anything. Multiple players from Dartmouth raised their hands to announce having made their first baskets. At the end, all the athletes were given ribbons to celebrate their accomplishments.
