Page 4 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 13, 2026 SMILES | FROM PAGE 1 were scored aplenty, no doubt. But the “Smile Quotient”? Quite simply, through the roof! “This is the best day of the year for our athletics program,” said Charlie Conefrey, Malden Public Schools Director of Wellness, Athletics and Physical Education, said Tuesday. “There is nothing better than seeing our Unified Sports student-athletes work side-by-side and have so much fun competing out there.” Unified Sports is one of the fastest-growing programs in the nation. In less than 10 years, the number of schools participating nationwide has more than doubled to about 10,800. In Massachusetts, where Unified Sports is supported by Special Olympics Massachusetts, nearly 3,000 student-athletes and close to 2,000 partner student-athletes participate foundationally on the principles of equity and inclusivity. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual and physical challenges on the same team. Originating with the Special Olympics, Unified Sports was inspired by a simple principle: Training together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. A 1997 Malden High School SMILES & BUCKETS: Malden Unified Basketball Hosts GBL Jamboree graduate and MHS Golden Tornado Hall of Famer, Conefrey took the reins of the Athletic Department in 2016. Under Conefrey’s leadership, Malden High School and its athletic program was a pioneer in establishing Unified Sports as an integral part of its overall offerings in the Greater Boston League. Conefrey, who is now the President of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (MIAA) Board of Directors — and a longtime MIAA Board member — also successfully assisted in the lobbying effort for the MIAA’s sanctioning and including of Unified Sports as a program overseen by MIAA members. “We are fortunate to have a large, enthusiastic group of students in our high school who, along with being challenged in their daily lives, love to take part in organized sports,” said Conefrey, noting that Malden offers basketball and flag football in the fall and outdoor track in the spring for its Unified Sports program. Through his efforts, Malden was the first GBL school to offer Unified Sports, and in its first year, traveled and hosted games and events with other schools in the Eastern Mass. region. Gradually, led by the leadership of Malden and former Medford Public Schools Athletic Director Bobby Maloney, the Greater Boston League began to expand and grow, and so did the Unified Sports aspect of athletic programs. At the event hosted by Malden, dubbed the GBL Jamboree, nearly every GBL school was represented. The teams are coed and all include challenged student-athletes. NEVER TOO MANY POMPOMS: On the court and on the bench, the Malden team had lots of fun on Thursday. (Courtesy/Malden Public Schools Athletics Photo) The Malden Athletic Director, who was a GBL All-Star basketball guard himself in the late 1990s, and an inductee in the Golden Tornado Hall of Fame, said many of the helper student-athletes from the Unified Sports games also volunteer in similar roles in the Unified Physical Education Classes, also offered at Malden High School, again, one of the first schools to do so in the GBL. Malden has six times been recognized as an exemplary “National Unified Sports School” by Special Olympics and could be receiving a seventh such selection this year. “We are already looking forEveryone gets together after the game: Malden High players, coaches, referees and the Malden High cheerleaders. (Courtesy/Malden Public Schools Athletics Photo) ward to next year’s event,” Conefrey said at the conclusion of Thursday’s Jamboree. Looking forward to the smiles, as well, no doubt. Monogram D4 Double siding Cedar impression half rounds Harvey Vinyl Replacement Windows Custom Aluminum Trim work Windows & Doors Top quality Vinyl Siding! •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Fully Licensed •Fully Insured Everett Aluminum Supplies Celebrating 67 Years in Business Since 1958! ws
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