DIAA and Special Olympics Delaware offer unified flag football season

Special Olympics Delaware and the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association have announced that the sport of unified flag football is a recognized sport under the umbrella of the DIAA.

“DIAA is thrilled that the partnership with SODE has resulted in a full season of flag football competition for eight of our member schools,” DIAA Executive Director Thomas Neubauer said. “We look forward for more growth in the near future.”

This partnership between the DIAA and SODE brings together high school students with and without disabilities from eight high schools across the First State to compete against each other in biweekly games. The eight schools participating are Caesar Rodney, McKean, Middletown, Mt. Pleasant, Newark Charter, Seaford, Smyrna and William Penn.

“Research has shown that through Unified Sports, barriers are broken down and friendships created, and most importantly, those friendships last long beyond the final whistle,” said Kylie Frazer, director of school initiatives for SODE. “The stories we saw unfold at the four schools involved in last year’s pilot further reinforced the positive impact Unified Sports can have on the entire school population and its environment.”

The first games were held Sept. 20. All games are officiated by crews from the Northern and Southern Delaware Football Officials Associations. The eight teams will be seeded based on regular-season records with playoff games played Saturday, Nov. 12, at St. Andrew’s School as part of the SODE Fall Festival. The winners of the playoff games will play for the unified flag football championship Dec. 3 at Delaware Stadium between the high school Division I and II football state championship games.