Kyah Preston 

3/14/2023

Feature #6

Lewis Cass is one of the 410 member schools involved in champions together. The establishment of the “Champions Together” partnership between the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). Indiana was announced at the IHSAA headquarters on December 17, 2012. The partnership evolved from IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox charging the IHSAA Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to engage in “servant leadership” and discover ways to give back to their schools and communities. Lewis Cass became a Unified Champions Together School in 2018. The partnership evolved from IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox charging the IHSAA Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to engage in “servant leadership” and discover ways to give back to their schools and communities.

Champions Together is a collaborative partnership between the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Indiana that promotes servant leadership among student athletes while changing their lives as well as the lives of those with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics International is supporting Champions Together as a model program to activate schools through “Project Unify” which also has the endorsement of the National Federation of High Schools.

At Lewis Cass, we put on many events throughout the year. Lewis Cass holds a Unified Champions Together Track and Field clinic in September Unified Champions Together as well as a Basketball and Cheer clinic in February. Champions Together also throws a School-Wide Engagement spirit week and Assembly, a Unified Champions Together Volleyball clinic in March, and a Unified Champions Together Tennis Clinic in April or the beginning of May.

At Lewis Cass, all freshmen through seniors are welcome to join the club and help in any way. That is why the club is 85 members strong! The leader ahead of it all, math teacher Mrs. Rush says “ I love being a part of this club watching students lead, seeing individuals with intellectual difficulties feel included, watching all the smiles and laughter, and watching high school students be unselfish and help and give to others. This club gives me hope for this generation and their future!”

I love being a part of the Champions Together cheer and basketball clinic. This year I got the opportunity to help co-lead the cheer portion of this year’s clinic. We worked with the students on cheers and we made signs. We have dance parties and let them shake their pom poms. Once we get done we go and cheer the teams on. I think this is an amazing club and I would recommend it to every student.