RICHMOND, Ky. (WKYT) – Team Kentucky is preparing to compete at the USA Games in June as part of Special Olympics’ Unified Basketball League, which brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without them.
The program creates teams where athletes with special needs and athletes without them play together, with social inclusion at the heart of its mission.
Coach Eric Piernas Jr. said he got involved with the league a few years ago as a unified athlete partner.
“I was actually fortunate enough to go to the 2022 USA games with Team Kentucky, and so that was an awesome experience,” Piernas said.
Piernas said athletes will build upon more than their basketball skills at the games.
“I know a couple of our athletes, they haven’t been to the airport before, so sometimes this is a really big trip for them where they get to experience everything, going through the airport, getting on planes, or even this might be the athletes first time going out the state of Kentucky or a large-scale trip,” Piernas said. “So for us to be part of that and offer them that process is really awesome.”
Unified partner Eli Just said the process has been rewarding.
“At the end of the day, we’re all athletes, we just want to play a sport,” Just said.
Athlete Daniel Hewitt said playing basketball is fun, but the friendships keep him coming back.
“You get to meet new friends and do new things,” Hewitt said. “When I get down, they cheer me up. Basically, its really fun. I’m glad I got this opportunity.”
Team Kentucky will compete in the USA Games in Minneapolis in June.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.