Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 15, 2024 SMILES AND ‘BUCKETS’: Malden and Revere Unified Basketball Teams shine at GBL Jamboree Student-athletes join together to make it a day full of competition and fun for all at Salemwood Fieldhouse in Malden By Steve Freker W hat it came down to, after all, was not how many baskets they could score, but how many smiles they could generate. The Third Annual Greater Boston League Unifi ed Basketball Jamboree was held Tuesday at the Sam Fishman Fieldhouse at Salemwood K-8 School in Malden. The baskets 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. “There is nothing better than seeing our student-athletes work 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 Unifi ed Sports as an integral part of its overall off erings in the Greater Boston League (GBL). “We are fortunate to have a ‘CHARLIE BUCKETS’: Charlie “Buckets” Fielding and his trademark, underhand “jump shot” has resulted in plenty of points for his Malden team this season. (Courtesy/Malden Public Schools) Eastern Bank Building on Rte. 1S 605 Broadway, #301 * Saugus (781) 233-6844 www.bostonnorthdental.com side-by-side and have so much fun competing out there.” Unifi ed Sports is one of the Dr. Priti Amlani Dr. Bhavisha Patel fastest-growing programs in the nation. Based foundationally on the principles of equity and inclusivity, Unifi ed Sports joins people with and without intellectual and physical challenges on the same team. Originating from Special Olympics in 2018, Unifi ed Sports was inspired by a simple principle: Training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. A 1997 Malden High School graduate and MHS Golden Tornado Hall of Famer, Conefrey * Restorative Dentistry * Cosmetic Dentistry * Implant Restoration * Zoom Whitening * Teeth in a Day - All on 6 * Invisalign * CEREC Crowns (Single Visit Crowns) * Root Canal Treatment * Sedation Dentistry ~ Full Mouth Rehabilitation ~ Before After MALDEN UNIFIED TEAM: Coach April Edmunds (center) joined with Malden Director of Athletics Charlie Conefrey (left) and Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo in congratulating the Unifi ed Basketball Team and the helpers from the Malden Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball Teams. (Courtesy/Malden Public Schools) large, enthusiastic group of students in our high school who are challenged in their daily lives and love to take part in organized sports,” Conefrey said, noting that Malden off ers basketball in the fall and outdoor track in the spring for its Unifi ed Sports program. Malden was the first GBL school to off er Unifi ed Sports and in its fi rst year traveled and hosted games and events with other schools in the Eastern Mass. region. Gradually, led by the leadership of Malden and Medford, the GBL began to expand and grow, and so did the Unifi ed Sports aspect of athletic programs. At Tuesday’s event, dubbed the GBL Jamboree, nearly every GBL school was represented at the event, including Malden and Revere. The teams are coed and include challenged student-athletes assisted by “helpers,” most of whom are members of the respective schools’ traditional boys and girls basketball teams. “I’ve yet to meet one of the helper student-athletes who has not benefi ted from their interaction with the Unifi ed Sports players,” Conefrey said. “It enhances their lives and teaches them some important life lessons. It’s great to see.” The Malden Athletic Director, who was a GBL All-Star basketball guard himself in the late 1990s, said many of the helper student-athletes from the Unified Sports games also volunteer in similar roles in the Unifi ed Physical Education Classes – also off ered at Malden High School – again one of the fi rst schools to do so in the GBL. Malden has four times been recognized as an exemplary “National Unifi ed Sports School” by Special Olympics and is expecting a fi fth such selection this year. “It’s great to see everyone having such as great time,” Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo, who was a Division 1 head boys basketball coach at Peabody High in the 2000s, said. “Our Unified teams work very hard and we appreciate all the work their coach April Edmunds and her assistant put in to make this all happen.” “We are proud of what we have established here and intend on continuing to be successful in allowing all of our students to participate in some form of athletics,” Conefrey said. “Everyone wins with Unifi ed Sports.”
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