The successes of the Warren unified bocce team will bring a new team to Warren Area High School — unified track and field.

This spring will be the inaugural season, and head coach Cayla Onoratti is thrilled to get things going.

“I am excited to develop a strong program that continues to provide opportunities for every student,” Onoratti said. “It is exciting to see that there are multiple opportunities for students to participate in athletics at WAHS. Adding the unified track and field program helps to create another opportunity for our athletes, all the while teaching the importance of a healthy lifestyle. These opportunities did not exist in previous years, so as a community, that is something that should be recognized as a great step for our school district.”

Track and field could be uncharted territory for some of the student-athletes, so finding the right events for each of them, teaching them proper techniques, and motivating them are all challenges Onoratti is ready for.

“Getting the kids excited about track will help to motivate our team,” she said. “We have a great group of coaches that are excited to expose our team to opportunities in unified track. These opportunities will help develop all-around athletes that excel, both on and off the track. We have the unique situation in that this is a new program, as it will be important to create opportunities and experiences to help with team bonding and morale from the get go.’

Finding success for the squad will require setting and meeting various goals.

“Our goal this season as a team is to develop competitive athletes that have success, both on and off the track,” Onoratti said. “This is a new sport for many, so we are looking forward to seeing their growth throughout the season. We hope to get individual and team wins this season and qualify for the league championship at the conclusion of the regular season. If we improve our times, throws and jumps this season, it will be a success on our team. Some of our partners on the team have participated in varsity track previously, but unified requires participation in one track and one field event. These kids will be introduced to a running, jumping or throwing event that they haven’t competed in previously, giving each person a chance to make improvements this season.”

The endgame for any team is to win, but Onoratti and her staff are hoping to build a strong program that provides opportunities to increase meaningful involvement and personal growth. “My goal is to create an inclusive team environment where every athlete feels valued and motivated to grow, both on and off the track,” Onoratti said. “We will help athletes grow athletically by teaching track and field skills in a structured and supportive way, allowing each athlete to progress at their own pace and celebrate improvement. Inclusion is our main goal for our team culture. Unified sports combine those with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team to promote inclusion through sports. Our athletes and partners have the same expectations academically and athletically.”