Freedom Unified Soccer wraps first season with championship day, eyes statewide youth league

Freedom Optimist Soccer's Unified Soccer teams finished their first season Sunday, Oct. 25, with a championship afternoon at Glenelg Country School, where every player went home with a medal. Organizers now want to build a statewide youth league around the program, starting next fall.

Unified Soccer puts athletes with intellectual disabilities and teammates without them, called Unified partners, on the same team. The Freedom teams are based in the Freedom/Sykesville area of Carroll County. They are sponsored by Freedom Optimist Soccer under the Freedom Area Recreation Council (FARC), which Walthour said makes them technically a county Parks and Recreation program, and they partner with Special Olympics Maryland's Carroll County program, he said.

"We started this program hoping to give these kids a chance to play semi-competitive soccer, make some friends, and just be part of a team," said Scott Walthour, Freedom Optimist Soccer's commissioner and adaptive sports coordinator. "Watching the athletes and partners come together, support each other, and have so much fun was really rewarding."

Freedom's two teams, Freedom Unified Gold and Freedom Unified Blue, played Frederick Unified at the Glenelg Country School fields in Howard County. Freedom's teams have 22 players between them, and Frederick brought about eight, Walthour told Westminster Wire in an email.

No official score was kept. To close the day, all the Unified players teamed up for a game against the Glenelg Country School boys soccer team, Walthour said. The afternoon ended with pizza, a celebration and a championship medal for every player.

Players this season ranged from 9 to 17 years old, Walthour said.

Sam Roberts came to Unified Soccer through Shooting Stars, Freedom Optimist Soccer's adaptive soccer clinic program. His mother, Shari Roberts, said in an email to Westminster Wire that coaches and organizers there told families they were starting a new team.

"With Sam's desire to improve his skills, and be part of a team, we were excited to be part of Unified and were happy to support the inaugural season," she said.

On Sunday, she said, what stood out were "the smiles on the athletes, the hard work they all put in, and the community there to support all of them." Playing at "such a nice facility and field was special for them," she said.

Roberts said the program gave athletes a real team structure, with coaches, drills, practices and games, and that the growth went beyond soccer.

"They all grew, both in their soccer skills, but also their confidence, their social skills, and their desire to accomplish something," she said.

"These athletes deserve to have a platform where they can be part of a team, have team uniforms, and compete against other teams, while feeling safe and welcome at the same time," Roberts said. "In a world where that can be hard at times, the Unified Soccer team gave that to them, and it was a season to remember!"

Brian Frels signed up his son, Brooks Frels, because Brooks has limited opportunities to socialize with peers, he said in an email to Westminster Wire. Playing alongside Unified partners gives Brooks "an understanding environment for him to make friends and socialize outside of the home or his regional school," Frels said.

He wasn't sure at first that Brooks would be up for an organized activity, he said, but the coaches kept practices interesting and let players take part at their own level.

"I love watching Brooks so happy to fist bump and hug his coaches," Frels said.

On Sunday, he said, the players enjoyed playing on a turf field and were excited to get their medals and pizza afterward. What stood out to him was the effort the coaches put into planning and hosting the event.

Frels said Walthour and the Freedom team have "figured out a model that allows these kids to play and engage with their peers in a structured but forgiving atmosphere." His family has had mixed results with other county-run programs in meeting his son's needs, he said, and "this is one of the best we've experienced."

"We'd love to see others take the lessons learned here and apply them to other programs," Frels said. "I could see this model working in swimming, biking, theater, martial arts, basketball and more."

Walthour said he could speak for the program's coaches and volunteers.

"We walked away from every practice and game with a smile on our faces," he said. "For many of us, it was the best part of our week."

Walthour said the group is working to launch a Maryland Youth Unified Soccer League next fall and needs teams from across the state to make it happen.

Freedom Park, on Raincliff Road in the Eldersburg area, is the group's home field, and Walthour said the league's home games would be played there. Because the program operates under FARC, its use of the fields is approved year by year. Next year's request can't be submitted until December or January, so that approval isn't final yet.

Youth Unified Soccer through Special Olympics Maryland is a fall sport, Walthour said, with practices starting in mid-August and the season running through late October. Games are 5-on-5. A community team like Freedom's needs a sponsoring organization, eight to 10 players and two or three coaches, he said. Players are generally about 8 to 16. Informal spring events are possible but not yet decided.

Walthour said Freedom Optimist Soccer will mentor and answer questions for any group looking to start a team, and Special Olympics Maryland offers online resources and assistance. Interested teams can contact Freedom Optimist Soccer at [email protected].

"We're excited about what we started and looking forward to getting more kids involved, adding more teams, and continuing to build on what we accomplished this first season," Walthour said.

Shooting Stars, the free clinic program for children with disabilities where Sam Roberts got his start, draws about 60 players and more than 150 volunteers, Walthour said. It returns in early spring.

Photos: Mort Shuman. Photos are from a Freedom Unified game earlier this season.