EPHS Unified Volleyball athlete Nicholas Lethbridge serves during a recent match.

EAST PROVIDENCE — For the first time this fall East Providence High School has entered a team into the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Unified Volleyball program, which matches students from the general population and their peers with special needs.

The league, operated in conjunction with and funded by Rhode Island Special Olympics, has been running for several years statewide. It is the autumn sports option for special needs students, book-ending it with the Unified Basketball program available in the spring.

Unified Basketball was, likewise, offered for the first time at EPHS just last spring. The "partners," as the general ed students are known, cannot be active participants in those respective sports to be eligible to participate in either volleyball or basketball.

Brandyn Chace, a Special Education teacher at Martin Middle School, is the head coach of the Townies. He is a 2000 EPHS graduate and former volleyball player, who is also currently a referee of the sport. He was a willing and experienced participant when called upon by administrators to coach the team during its inaugural season.

"I actually taught in Portsmouth last year and I coached Unified Basketball at the middle school," Coach Chace said. "And I came back to the district this year as a teacher and Nick Shattuck, the assistant AD, said you're a Unified coach and a volleyball guy and we could use a coach. So I said, OK, I'd be glad to do it."

The "athletes," or special needs students, on the Townies' roster this fall include Nicholas Lethbridge, Kyle Soares, James Cullerton, Cameron Chabot, Alisha Pacheco, Jonah Wagner and Jakari Enos. The "partners" are Jacob Fagundes, Matt DaSilva, Christiana Rebollo, Vilette Babbitt, Nyela Cardosa, Sarah Branco and Tianna Delsantos.

"It's going good," Coach Chace of the year to date, which includes seven regular season games. A playoff tournament follows.

"It's going really well," he continued. "It was tough to get organized for the first year just because it's a new program, but once we got it going it was very, very easy. I've got a lot of mature kids out there, athletes and partners. So it's been great."

As a Special Ed teacher in his own right, Coach Chace has an inherent appreciation for the opportunity afforded to the young men and women with learning disabilities.

"I think they love it," he said. "I think they needed this. They do basketball at some point in the early spring. So I think that it's great that they have something to do now in the fall."

The Unified programs are an extension of the time-tested educational theories like the mainstreaming special needs children and inclusionary curriculum. They also offer the chance for those students to participate in a sanctioned, organized sport like the rest of their peers. Coach Chace said he hopes all of young men and women who participate learn the same ethos taught to other varsity athletes.

"Students from all walks of life will be able to come together, learn a sport, learn about teamwork and have fun," the coach added. "I have and plan to teach each skill that is required for volleyball. Also teach them to represent the city and school with pride."

The Townies have three games left on their schedule: in East Providence, October 13, vs. Barrington at 3 p.m.; in North Kingstown, October 18, at 4 p.m.; and at East Providence vs. East Greenwich, October 19, at 3:30 p.m.