Aleena Irfani ’27 stands on the sidelines of the Stevenson Sports Center, yelling out cheers and chants of encouragement. Flashing the green and gold, Stevenson’s Allied Basketball Team races along the court to score the winning shot. 

Although she isn’t actively competing, Irfani still feels a sense of excitement as an Allied Basketball buddy supporting the student-athletes. The co-ed Allied Basketball program, where Irfani contributes as a buddy, serves as an opportunity for students with disabilities to play in a team sport. According to the Stevenson website, the program is meant to help athletes gain self-confidence and decision making skills, while still being in a competitive environment. 

“When it started in January of 2019,we weren’t really sure what it was going to look like,” Allied Basketball coach Ryan Hutchins said. “But we wanted to get as many kids involved in Allied sports as possible. Once we got started, it was a very successful season.”

Since then, Allied student-athletes have practiced in the Field House for 90 minutes every week during the winter, running through scrimmages and drills, while incorporating skills like teamwork. Hutchins notes that their hard work has paid off, as the Allied Basketball team has not only increased in size but has also seen numerous achievements.

“The athletes that were participating won a number of games, and they made it to the Special Olympics state finals down in Bloomington, Illinois,” Hutchins said. “And since then, we’ve just grown. The program has gained a lot of momentum, it began at about 20 kids the first year, and now it’s grown to close to 80 kids school-wide.”

While the athletes play on the courts, Allied Basketball buddies are on the sidelines. During games, buddies like Irfani cheer out the athletes’ names and encourage the players to pass to one another. She recalls one game against Wauconda High School, where the opposing team’s entire student body cheered on both Stevenson players and their opponents.

“They had the whole competing school come to watch the game,” Irfani said. “I thought it was so fun to see the athletes’ reactions to seeing their names on posters and seeing so many people cheering them on.” 

Back at Stevenson, in practices, buddies and athletes split into small groups, further enhancing their shooting, dribbling, and shooting skills. For Irfani, these practices are more than just about refining skills, but also creating relationships with the athletes.

“I usually start by asking the athletes about themselves, and learning  if they are shy or super energetic,” Irfani said. “For example, I try to learn things about their individual personalities because everyone has a different way of expressing themselves when playing.”

Allied buddies play a crucial role in the Allied Basketball practices and games, according to Hutchins. Oftentimes, freshmen athletes can feel nervous coming into a new space, such as the Allied Basketball gym, and building relationships with buddies can make the environment more comfortable.

“We can trust the buddies to help out with the freshmen and teach them the ropes,” Hutchins said. “We try to strategically pair the athletes and the buddies with who we think would be a good match.”

Hutchins notes that the main goal of Allied Basketball, and any other allied sport, is to create an inclusive environment for students who otherwise cannot participate in other Stevenson athletic programs. At the end of the day, he believes practices and games are scheduled with one sole purpose–to create belonging.

“We want the students to feel like they’re part of the Stevenson athletic community and that’s why we try to schedule as many games as possible,” Hutchins said. “We try to schedule a big senior night in the sports center, where we try to invite fans, get other sports teams at SHS to come and show support, and really try to create an environment where the athletes and their parents feel as if they are genuinely part of the athletics community.’”

According to Hutchins, the Allied Basketball experience is a vibrant and positive experience for everyone involved. However, he notes that the team has faced challenges accommodating their rising interest with practice space.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from both mainstream students and special ed students,” Hutchins said. “In a sport like basketball, when we can only really have five kids on the court at once, it is difficult to get as many kids participating and involved when we are so limited by court space. We don’t have as much opportunity.”

Despite limited space, Hutchins mentions the rewarding feeling after a big game. On the courtside, he sees parents of athletes fill the stands to cheer on the Allied team and believes the program has not only brought new horizons for Stevenson students but also their parents. 

“I often hear from parents afterwards saying, ‘Wow, that was amazing, thank you for putting that on, I’ve never seen my kid be part of something in that light,” Hutchins said. 

Hutchins finds that Allied Basketball creates a community for students with disabilities to showcase their athletic abilities and team spirit. Similarly, through her athlete-partner experience on the basketball team, Irfani has discovered a program she describes as aspiring and will continue to be a part of.

“I loved participating in allied basketball,” Irfani said. “It was a very fulfilling experience and I felt like I met a whole new community of students who I could make connections with.”