Brownsburg Athletics Announces Unified Flag Football as Varsity Sport

By Keelen Barlow

IHSAA UNIFIED FLAG FOOTBALL | SPECIAL OLYMPICS INDIANA

Brownsburg Athletics announced the introduction of Unified Flag Football as a sponsored varsity sport for the 2020-2021 academic year. The program, which competes in the fall, will be Brownsburg Athletics' 22nd varsity sport.  

"We are very excited to announce Unified Flag Football as our 22nd varsity sport at Brownsburg High School. The IHSAA, Champions Together and Indiana Special Olympics continues to lead initiatives focusing on the inclusion of all students and we are proud to continue our partnership with the addition of Unified Flag Football. This addition provides a tremendous opportunity for our students to continue to lead the inclusion revolution as a Unified Champions school," Brownsburg Athletic Director Drew Tower said.

Unified Flag Football is a part of Unified Sports, a program of Special Olympics, Inc. The program promotes inclusion through sports competition between teams that include people with and without intellectual disabilities.

The addition of Unified Flag Football expands the reach of Special Olympics further within the Brownsburg Athletics Department. Brownsburg Athletics has sponsored a varsity Unified Track and Field team since 2016.

"Brownsburg High School has been among the leaders in our Champions Together program for years, joining Special Olympics Indiana and the IHSAA in empowering students to take the lead in working to create inclusive school communities where people of all abilities can thrive," said Director of Unified Champion Schools Programs for Special Olympics Indiana Mike Hasch. "As the 'Inclusion Revolution' continues to spread throughout the state and the popularity of Unified Sports® like flag football continues to grow, we are excited to welcome another varsity team from BHS to the IHSAA's newest state tournament."

Bart Hensley will lead the Brownsburg Unified Flag Football program in its inaugural season. Hensley, who was formerly a head football coach at Brownsburg West Middle School, is going into his seventh year as a Special Education Teacher for Brownsburg. He also has experience coaching baseball at the middle school and high school levels. Hensley is a co-sponsor for the Best Buddies program at Brownsburg High School.

"I'm super proud to be the head coach for the program going into its first season," Hensley said. "We're creating opportunities for more students who are getting a chance to fulfill extracurricular activities. I think it's wonderful that we are promoting inclusion in the athletics program while doing that."

The 2020-2021 academic year will mark the third season for IHSAA Unified Flag Football. Thirty-eight schools in the state of Indiana sponsored Unified Flag Football for the 2019 season. Brownsburg joins Fishers, Franklin Central, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville and Zionsville as Hoosier Crossroads Conference members that sponsor a Unified Flag Football team.

Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, the practice facility for the Indianapolis Colts, has hosted the IHSAA Unified Flag Football State Finals since the inaugural season in 2018.