Nashville Soccer Club Forms Inaugural Special Olympics Unified Team
Published on May 12, 2022 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Nashville SC News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nashville Soccer Club, in partnership with Special Olympics Tennessee, today announced the formation of its first-ever Special Olympics Unified Team. Leveraging the power of sport, MLS WORKS, ESPN and Special Olympics have teamed up to promote an environment of social inclusion, which is aligned with the League's Soccer For All platform. Cornerstone to the collaboration is the Special Olympics Unified Sports® Soccer Exchange Program, uniting individuals with intellectual disabilities (Special Olympics athletes) and individuals without intellectual disabilities (Unified partners) as members of one team.
This week Nashville SC and Special Olympics Tennessee held an official Signing Day event at GEODIS Park featuring club executives and players Joe Willis, Taylor Washington and Eric Miller. On behalf of Nashville SC, General Manager Mike Jacobs presented Special Olympics Tennessee with a $10,000 check, and immediately following the Signing Day event, the club's Unified Team members took to the pitch for the team's first official practice.
Two members of the Nashville SC Unified Team will travel to Minneapolis to participate in the Special Olympics Unified Sports® All-Star Game. One Special Olympics athlete and one Unified partner will be selected to represent Nashville SC August 8 - 10 during MLS All-Star Week. The experience culminates in a competitive East versus West, 11 versus 11, Special Olympics Unified Sports® Soccer Game.
The Nashville SC Special Olympics Unified Team's official trainings will be held in June and facilitated by Special Olympics Tennessee. The Blue versus Gold Unified Team match will take place on July 17 when the Boys in Gold host LAFC at GEODIS Park. The MLS Unified All-Star Game is scheduled for the last day of MLS All-Star Week on August 10.
You can learn more about the Nashville SC Special Olympics Unified Team as well as the Special Olympics Unified Sports® Soccer Exchange Program.
QUOTE REPOSITORY:
Nashville SC Head of Community Brandon Hill: "The Special Olympics Unified Program and our partnership with Special Olympics and Major League Soccer is an amazing program. It's all about promoting a spirit of inclusion and diversity, one of our core pillars as a club, and it's one of the most important programs across MLS. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Special Olympics Tennessee in launching our first ever Special Olympics Unified Team."
Special Olympics Tennessee CEO Adam Germek: "This is an historic day for our organization and an incredible opportunity for these athletes. It's a dream come true, and from our perspective, we're so thankful for Nashville SC and their promotion of inclusion in our community and for embracing our athletes and individuals with intellectual disabilities. We have felt the love from day one, and Nashville SC has been part of our family in the same way we feel a part of their family."
Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs: "This is such a special day for Nashville Soccer Club. The idea of supporting a venture like Special Olympics fits the core tenants of our club and who we are. We have made history many times just in the last month, and today we do it again for Nashville SC and our community. It is so exciting to be able to add future Boys and Girls in Gold to our team through the Special Olympics Unified Team."
Nashville SC Goalkeeper Joe Willis: "As a team, we are so excited to welcome these new Special Olympics Unified Team athletes to the Nashville SC family. Being part of NSC's inaugural MLS season, it is amazing to now watch the club launch our inaugural Unified Team in our third year, and I can't wait to see how this team grows."
NASHVILLE SC SPECIAL OLYMPICS TEAM:
Valor College Prep
Jeremy Adkins
Ahmad Amedi
Kimberly Aguilera Basaldua
Mia Binns
Connor Doyle
Sawyer Garrett
Lily McGowan
Maggie Meier
Karla Montiel
Maria Munoz
Jad Rahme
Adan Ramirez
Haziel Salomon
Tony Tejada
Mitchell York
Franklin High School
Avery Brown
Margaret DeFranco
AJ Elliot
Bryan Fisher
Taylor Hasan
Finn Jacobs
Davis Long
Rachel Martin
Whites Creek High School
Payton Adams
A'Jha Davis
Zephaniah Dennis
Anthony Felton
Nzinga Jean
Roland Jenkins
Darron Jennings
Gabriel Johnson
Jevaun Sanderfer
Major League Soccer Stories from May 12, 2022
- Inter Miami CF to Visit Orlando City SC in Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup - Inter Miami CF
- Nashville Soccer Club to Face Louisville City FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 - Nashville SC
- Sporting KC to Host Houston in U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 - Sporting Kansas City
- MNUFC Advance to Round of 16 in Us Open Cup - Minnesota United FC
- By the Numbers: FC Cincinnati at Chicago Fire FC - FC Cincinnati
- Rapids Fall to Minnesota United FC in Open Cup, Ready to Bounce Back against LAFC on Saturday - Colorado Rapids
- Chicago Fire FC Sign Academy Product, South Loop Native Justin Reynolds to Homegrown Player Contract - Chicago Fire FC
- Keys to the Match: Bright Lights, Big Game - New York City FC
- Final Push to the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs Begins with MLS NEXT Flex this Week - MLS
- Know Your Foe: C.F. Montreal - Charlotte FC
- Major League Soccer to Celebrate Soccer for All Week May 12-23 - Colorado Rapids
- Major League Soccer to Celebrate Soccer for All Week May 12-23 - MLS
- Nashville Soccer Club Forms Inaugural Special Olympics Unified Team - Nashville SC
- FC Dallas and Major League Soccer to Celebrate Soccer for All Week May 12-23 - FC Dallas
- Austin FC Joins Major League Soccer's "Soccer for All" Week - Austin FC
- Inter Miami CF to Host D.C. United on Saturday - Inter Miami CF
- Miguel Ramírez Pleased to "Get Job Done" in U.S. Open Cup - Charlotte FC
- New Charlotte FC Head of Recruitment Striving for "Nationally Recognized" Academy - Charlotte FC
- Inter Miami CF Adds Team Simpkin of Compass as Official Real Estate Partner - Inter Miami CF
- Montreal Impact Foundation to Build a Multisport Field in Laval - Club de Foot Montreal
- Quakes Advance to Round of 16 After Penalty Shootout - San Jose Earthquakes
- Rave Green Bow out of U.S. Open Cup in Penalty Shootout Loss to San Jose Earthquakes - Seattle Sounders FC
- LA Galaxy Advance to Round of 16 of 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with 3-2 Road Win over California United Strikers FC at Championship Soccer Stadium on Wednesday Night - LA Galaxy
- Houston Dynamo FC Advance to the Round of 16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - Houston Dynamo FC
- Canadians Lead the Way as 'Caps Advance to Face Cavalry FC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Nashville Soccer Club Advances to Round of 16 in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup After Dramatic Come-rom Behind Win at GEODIS Park - Nashville SC
- Nashville Soccer Club Advances to Round of 16 in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup After Dramatic Come-rom Behind Win at GEODIS Park - Nashville SC
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
