Milford Unified basketball team having fun

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Members of the Milford Unified basketball team huddle together near their bench, Saturday afternoon during halftime.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
RJay Murphy holds his hands up looking for a pass from his teammate, Darren Antone during Saturday afternoon's Unified basketball game between Milford High School and Hopkinton.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Bryce Carter, left, and Brandon Littlefield, right, sit on the bench during Milford Unified's basketball game at Milford, High School, Saturday afternoon, where they were playing Hopkinton.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
A pass is overthrown to Milford Unified basketball player Cicely Mannino during Saturday afternoon's game against Hopkinton at Milford High School.

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Staff photo by GRANT MORRIS
Members of the Milford Unified basketball team huddle together near their bench, Saturday afternoon during halftime.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

Steve Erdody has experienced a lot during his 35 years coaching basketball, but he’s never been through a season like this one before.

A technology education teacher at Milford Middle School, Erdody has been involved with basketball at the middle and high school levels before, and this year, when he was approached about coaching a new high school team, he was immediately interested.

Starting with the 2011-12 school year, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body that oversees high school sports in the state, and Special Olympics have teamed up to offer a Unified Sports program at the high school level. The program started with soccer in the fall and continued with basketball during the winter, and once it became possible for Milford to have a team, it needed a coach.

Erdody was approached by Lisa Bianchi, who is the local program coordinator for the Milford Area Special Olympics team, about coaching, and thanks to some scheduling help from Marc Maurais, the Milford athletic director, Erdody was able to coach the Milford Unified basketball team, along with continuing to coach the middle school girls team.

“It has been amazing, really,” Erdody said. “The first game we played, we lost to Keene, and it was probably the most enjoyable game I’ve ever been a part of. The kids get such a high from (playing), it’s hard to describe.”

Each basketball team is allowed up to 15 players, and the five that are on the floor must consist of three unified student athletes and two unified student partners, according to the NHIAA’s policy. The Milford roster had nine players on it and four student partners, two of which included Erdody’s children, Avril and Zach.

“They’ve helped with the Special Olympics in town,” Erdody said. “They’re help kind of makes it more fun. The first night, I wasn’t sure what (the players) would be able to do, but Zach got them going and Avril was off talking to them. They could see what they were comfortable with. It was really neat.”

The rules of the game are the same – the teams use a women’s regulation ball – but what has helped make it a special season for Erdody is seeing the excitement from the players over what has become common for other teams.

“The first night of practice, (Maurais) found some old uniforms,” Erdody said. “Handing them out, you could see they were floored. We took a bus ride to Hanover, and to them, it was the big time. They had their jackets and they’re warmup suits. They were so happy about it.”

The season has been a short one, with Milford playing just five games, including the playoffs. The Spartans were 1-3 for the season, but the highlight of the year came during a home game against Hopkinton on Jan. 28.

“We probably had about 150 to 200 people here,” Erdody said. “A lot of them didn’t know the kids, but they heard about. Everyone came to me and said it was fun to watch.”

Milford lost its playoff game Monday, at Hopkinton, 44-27, to end the season. But with the way the year went, Erdody doesn’t doubt that the program will be around for a while, and Maurais hopes that there might be room to add other sports.

“It’s been the highlight of the winter,” he said. “I’d be interested in a spring program if they have one.”

“Marc has done an awful lot,” Erdody said. “He doesn’t get too much recognition, but he has been there from the get-go.

“Seeing the happiness, seeing how much people are enjoying it. I can’t see it not being something that’s here year after year.”