Unified Sports
Where every student belongs on the team.
A movement, not a program—where teammates become family and school culture becomes kinder.
Davis Education Foundation + Davis School District + Special Olympics Utah
ESPN Honor Roll — Davis High School
The Movement
This Is What Belonging Looks Like
Picture a gym where a partner student helps an athlete tie their shoes, the band plays when a pass finds its mark, and the whole bench empties to celebrate a simple assist. Picture an elementary snowshoe day: a small hand gripping a partner’s, cheeks flushed from cold and laughter, and teachers wiping their eyes as a child says, “I can do this.” These are the scenes that Unified Sports creates—repeated, ritualized experiences of belonging that change how a school treats every student.
True inclusion. Teams are intentionally mixed so athletes (students with intellectual disabilities) and partners (students without intellectual disabilities) play together, share leadership and learn from one another. This is Special Olympics’ model—built to create real participation and meaningful relationships, not tokenism.
Seasons + festivals. We run season play, district tournaments and festival days so inclusion is sustained year-round rather than a single day.
Watching teammates lift one another—a high school athlete cheering a partner on, an elementary child guiding a friend over the first snowy ridge—that is the change we want in every school. Unified Sports shows donors how inclusion becomes habit, how small investments make every student seen and every school kinder.— Kara Toone, Director, Davis Education Foundation
Our Sports
Four Sports. One Mission.
Unified Basketball
District tournament days with pools, awards, and large community audiences. Eight or more high schools join each year. The Foundation manages logistics, sponsorship, and media. The Murdock family underwrites the basketball tournaments, giving thousands of students a season and a showcase tournament where community turns out to cheer every assisted basket.
▶ Watch Unified Basketball
Unified Soccer
District soccer tournaments sponsored to expand participation. Students of all abilities compete on the same pitch with the same goal—belonging. Kent and Crystal Coleman’s Big O Tires sponsorship fuels district soccer tournaments and local community partnerships that bring teams and families together on weekend fields.
Unified Golf
Golf widens the definition of inclusive sport—giving students a quieter, individual-focused setting where inclusion looks different but feels just as powerful. Rich Day Group underwrites Unified golf opportunities, widening the kinds of sports where students can belong.
Unified Snowshoeing
Our signature elementary-level program introduces the Unified philosophy early. Signature events at Snowbird’s Alpine Loop produce powerful visuals and unforgettable moments—small hands gripping a partner’s, cheeks flushed from cold and laughter, and schools lined up on ridgelines under blue sky. A private donor funds the mountain logistics and media days that make these events possible.
▶ Watch Snowshoeing Coverage
Impact
Why This Matters
Belonging
Many students report that Unified Sports is the first time they truly feel part of something. Friendship that continues in hallways and classes—not just on the court.
Peer Leadership
Partners develop leadership, empathy, and facilitation skills. Athletes develop confidence and agency. Teachers report these skills translate directly to classroom engagement.
School Climate
District messaging ties Unified Sports to schoolwide climate improvement. Davis was the first Utah district to scale Unified district-wide—a statewide model that donors can point to with pride.
Access & Equity
Unified Sports expands access to interscholastic sport for students who previously had no team to join. Foundation funding ensures Unified presence from elementary through high school.
National Recognition
ESPN & KSL Coverage
Davis High’s Unified Sports story earned national and statewide media coverage. Watch how our students and community came together to earn the 2025 ESPN Honor Roll distinction—a recognition shared by only 36 schools in the nation.
Champion School Moments
The Team
Who Runs It
Special Olympics Utah
Program model and technical partnership; ensures teams and rules match evidence-based inclusion practice.
DSD Healthy Lifestyles Department
The district team that does the heavy lifting of organizing sites, scheduling, student recruitment and hosting—the logistical heart of the program.
Davis Education Foundation
We mostly pay for the events, underwrite tournaments, recruit sponsors, coordinate media, and facilitate volunteer/stewardship systems so the district team can focus on program delivery. Catalyst + steward.
Corporate & Private Sponsors
The Murdocks, Big O Tires / Kent & Crystal Coleman, Rich Day Group and a private snowshoe donor provide sport-specific support that guarantees continuity and quality.
For Donors & Sponsors
Invest in Inclusion
Every dollar builds a more inclusive school district. Sport-specific sponsorships underwrite authentic, high-quality experiences. The District & Foundation partnership model means low bureaucracy, high impact.
Program Growth Fund
Multi-year investment to create coach training stipends, partner leadership stipends, equipment endowments, and travel subsidies so every school can participate.
Title Tournament Sponsor
Underwrite one large district tournament including facilities, transport, awards, and media. Prominent sponsor recognition across banners, press, and Foundation reporting.
Evaluation & Impact Fund
Fund pre/post surveys and a short impact evaluation so donors receive quantified evidence of improvements in belonging and peer leadership.
Snowshoeing Signature Sponsor
Fund Snowbird Alpine Loop or Solitude events—transportation, equipment, volunteer staffing, and media day. Includes event naming and donor storytelling assets.
School-Level Seed Grant
Help a junior high or elementary school start an in-house Unified team with season play, partner recruitment, and local tournament support.
The Case for Investment
- National proof, local love. ESPN Honor Roll recognition and Unified Champion School designations show donors this program works and earns public recognition. That validation raises visibility and demonstrates replicability.
- Pipeline from elementary to high school. Snowshoeing introduces inclusion early; tournaments keep students engaged and build leaders year after year. This is a multi-year investment in school culture, not a one-off.
- Photogenic, tear-provoking moments. Snow-covered ridgelines and packed gymnasiums give donors imageable, emotional proof their gift mattered—exactly what a donor wants to show board members or foundation committees.
- Scalable model with public champions. Davis was first in Utah to scale Unified district-wide, partnered with First Lady Abby Cox’s “Show Up” initiative. Funders favor programs with both local traction and external champions.