FORT PIERCE, Fla., (October 14, 2025) – Indian River State College (“The River”)Softball hosted a Unified Sports kickball game with Project STAGE students on Monday, October 13, at Dale Atkinson Field. This community event launched Unified Sports at Indian River State College, a Special Olympics program that brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to compete together.
Indian River State College is the first college in the Florida College System to launch Unified Sports.
Unified Sports at Indian River State College pairs Special Olympics athletes who are college students with other college students to compete on the same teams. The program encourages students to see past differences and connect through shared effort and sportsmanship. The event celebrated the campus community through friendly competition, music, food, and prizes.
“I think Unified Sports is a great program that allows our students with unique abilities to participate in a friendly competition,” said Brett Williams, Indian River State College librarian and co-sponsor of the program. “It has been wonderful seeing how the student athletes have stepped up to organize and support this event. I am hoping that the unified sports program will continue to bring students of all abilities together fostering friendship and acceptance.”
Project STAGE combines classroom learning through the Specialized Career Training Course with paid and unpaid internships. Students develop job skills, create professional portfolios, and practice interviews while working closely with local employers.
The kickoff event drew enthusiastic participation from both Project STAGE students and the River Softball team, creating a spirited start to what the college hopes will become a long-standing campus tradition.
To learn more about Unified Sports at Indian River State College, visit https://irsc.edu/programs/special-programs/project-stage/ or contact Project STAGE at (772) 462-4257.
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