Inclusion through sports: Albuquerque Sign Language Academy holds first schoolwide pep rally

The level of excitement and engagement was so great during the first schoolwide pep rally at the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy that the next one has a very high bar to reach.

In celebration of students who are competing in both the Special Olympics and the Special Olympics Unified Sports, the entire body of students packed the gym Tuesday to watch athletes show off skills they have been working on since July.

The pep rally featured a pizza party for both groups of competitors, an indoor demonstration of cornhole, an outdoor demonstration for soccer and a schoolwide dance to the song “We Are Family.”

Albuquerque Sign Language Academy, or ASLA, participates in both Special Olympics and Special Olympics Unified Sports — the latter is a program that brings together individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to compete on the same team — with the goal of promoting social inclusion through sports. The premise aligns perfectly with the school population at ASLA, a school that supports and educates students who are hearing, hard of hearing and deaf.

Sara-Garcia Ayres, ASLA’s Special Olympics coordinator, said the school currently has three teams that compete in Special Olympics or Special Olympics Unified Sports event. The three teams include a mix of elementary and middle school students, with two of the teams competing in cornhole and the third in soccer.

A special education teacher at ASLA for 12 years, Garcia-Ayres wanted to get its students involved in the Special Olympics, so she decided last year to start the school’s own program. She said Tuesday’s pep rally gave both ASLA Special Olympics and Special Olympics Unified Sports participants a chance to showcase their skills in front of their fellow classmates.

“It’s nice that we’re all together this year so we can celebrate,” Garcia-Ayres said.

To get involved, students sign up for elective courses involving related to Special Olympics or Special Olympics Unified Sports. The school makes sure to balance the number of students with and without intellectual disabilities.

Then, the fun begins. Students learn to work and play together with a central message of inclusion. At 80 athletes and growing, the program is quickly becoming popular.

“It’s indicative of the school itself,” said Rafe Martinez, executive director and co-founder of ASLA. “We’re a one-of-a-kind educational program where kids all come together in one inclusive environment.”

ASLA has come a long way since it started 15 years ago as a charter school with 36 students, Martinez said. It had grown to 150 students as of Tuesday’s pep rally.

“You’re not going to see a school like this; the idea that every student can learn from others, other students, no matter native ability or things like that,” he said.

A University of New Mexico alumnus, Martinez was happy to see members of UNM’s football and spirit teams in attendance for the pep rally. The mascot Rio, from the New Mexico Runners Arena Soccer team, was also there to cheer on the athletes.

“It’s great because you get a place where you get to help people who can’t exactly do all the things,” said Max Martinez, 12, an ASLA Special Olympics athlete and no relation to Rafe Martinez. “You get to help them experience in the same way that you would experience for the first time.”

Max Martinez plays cornhole for the ASLA Special Olympics Unified Sports team and will travel with his teammates this weekend to Las Cruces to compete in the 2023 Holiday Classic, hosted by Special Olympics of New Mexico.

Athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without will compete in cornhole and basketball, and participate in an awards ceremony and a closing victory dance.

ASLA’s Special Olympics and Special Olympics Unified Sports team also is planning to participate in a unified bowling end-of-season demonstration and state bowling tournament in November.

Gino Gutierrez is the good news reporter for the Albuquerque Journal. If you have an idea for a good news story, you can contact him at goodnews@abqjournal.com or by phone at (505)-823-3940.