Earlier this season, Republic FC and Special Olympics Northern California partnered to celebrate inclusion on the pitch, bringing together athletes from across the region on the first unified team in Sacramento soccer history. After a month of weekly training sessions, bringing the club and players of all ages closer together, Republic FC’s squad takes the pitch for its first-ever match this weekend. Following Sunday’s first-team contest against Las Vegas Lights FC, Republic FC’s Unified Team faces off against its counterparts from the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Matchup: SACvSJ
- 7:00 PM PT kickoff following Republic FC’s match against Las Vegas
- Heart Health Park, Sacramento, California
- Interested in watching the action at the Unified Team match? Stick around after the final whistle of the club’s USL Championship contest vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Republic FC’s squad is led by Filip Handl, the club’s Manager of Soccer Programming and a longtime volunteer with Special Olympics. Handl is joined on the sidelines by Assistant Head Coaches Nick and Shelly Suarez and Joanna Pastor, each a veteran of Special Olympics programs in Northern California.
“Our team has come a long way in a short time,” said Handl of Republic FC’s Unified Team. “This program has been tremendous for the club and all the athletes involved, and it’s exciting to get it off the ground for the very first game here in Sacramento. We’re looking forward to what should be a spirited, fun, inclusive day for everyone at our club and at Heart Health Park.”
Sacramento’s roster enters the game with a ton of cohesion and experience playing together. Despite training as a team for just over a month’s time, many members of the squad have been teammates at other soccer programs across the region. Further, they’ve benefitted from the support of Republic FC first-team players, many of which have attended training sessions in the run up to the match. The 21 players on the roster also represent nearly every part of the Sacramento region, from Galt, to Lincoln, to El Dorado Hills in addition to Sacramento and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Unified teams are a growing staple in the U.S. Soccer community. Once rare, today all 29 clubs in Major League Soccer and six in USL Championship and USL League One field a Unified Team in partnership with local Special Olympics organizations. With more in development and set to take the pitch across the country in the coming year, the program has a big future ahead.
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
