Rolling Together: Unified Bocce Builds Inclusion at East Allegheny

This winter, East Allegheny students are coming together in a powerful new way through the launch of the school’s first Unified Champion Bocce team. Designed to bring students with and without disabilities together on one team, the program is already making a meaningful impact on student connections, school culture, and inclusive practices.

The idea to start a Unified Bocce team emerged after Jennifer Costello, Director of Student Services, learned more about Unified Champion programming at a Pennsylvania Department of Education conference in early 2025. Seeing the celebration of the state’s 100th Unified Bocce team and learning more about the model reinforced how sports can serve as a bridge for inclusion, friendship, and shared experiences. For East Allegheny, Unified Bocce offered a natural next step in expanding opportunities for students to engage with one another in authentic and meaningful ways.

“The Unified Bocce team aligns perfectly with East Allegheny’s ongoing commitment to inclusive practices,” said Costello. “While EA has long provided supports and services for students with disabilities, Unified Bocce enhances student engagement and fosters meaningful social connections.”

Unified Champion Bocce goes beyond competition. Team members practice together, communicate strategies, celebrate successes, and support one another on and off the court. Early practices have been filled with enthusiasm, teamwork, and excitement as students build connections quickly and naturally. One student partner shared that the experience has been eye opening and rewarding.

“There's so many different personalities in the team,” shared partner teammate Paityn Burger. “It just makes the team special because you find things that you didn't know that you had in common with somebody, and it just makes it more special because we're all friends now. We can all bond over that stuff.”

Because students signed up just as they would for any other winter sport, participation feels accessible and welcoming, reinforcing the idea that inclusion is an expectation rather than an exception.

Partner Zoe Bell explained what the experience taught her, stating, “If you work together you can just do anything you want to.”

The benefits of the program extend far beyond athletic skills with participants forming friendships they may not have otherwise made. “We hope students gain a deeper understanding of one another and learn to celebrate their similarities rather than focusing on differences,” says Costello. “Unified Bocce provides an opportunity to build relationships, empathy, and mutual respect.”

This season, the team’s goals are centered on building a strong foundation for the future, sharing the message of inclusion with peers, and creating positive experiences that students will carry with them long after the season ends. One exciting opportunity to support that mission is the team’s participation in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge, where students will raise awareness and support for Special Olympics while demonstrating their commitment to inclusion beyond the bocce court.

As the season continues, the Unified Champion Bocce team invites the school community to come out and cheer on the Wildcats at an upcoming match, celebrating not just the game, but the connections and community being built with every roll of the ball.