A Unified Soccer Team Created By MDC Student Wins Special Olympics Gold Medal
In 2007, Maya Alvarez watched in amazement as her mom, Jodi English, created and coached a Special Olympics team at Miami Southridge Senior High School for students with intellectual disabilities.
Ten years later, Alvarez’s brother, Logan, started a Unified Special Olympics team to allow people at the school without disabilities—known as partners—to join.
Now Alvarez is following in their footsteps. The 18-year-old mass communications student at Homestead Campus created a Special Olympics Unified soccer team—MDC Sharks—last January.
Last month, the squad won a gold medal at the Florida Special Olympics State Summer Games held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center in Orlando.
“I told everybody that we’re here to have fun,” Alvarez said. “We’re here to build friendships and bond and that was all that mattered. As long as we were having fun, it didn’t matter the score, as long as everybody tried their best.”
To start the team, Alvarez recruited previous members from the Southridge Special Olympics squad. She also gauged interest from her club at Homestead Campus, Special Smiles—a group she created last semester to promote awareness and inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The Sharks were scheduled to compete in their first match in early March against a team from Miami-Dade County before a uniform shipment delay foiled their plans.
But that didn’t stop them. In April, the squad entered the Special Olympics Annual Summer Games squaring off against teams from Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Despite being underdogs, the Sharks won both games against the Broward County squads—4-2 versus the Pines Panthers and 4-1 against the Pines Jaguars.
In their last game, the Sharks faced Miami Vice—a Unified program from Miami-Dade County. During the second half, the game was ruled a 1-1 draw after two athletes fainted due to the heat.
After ending regionals undefeated, the team practiced corner kicks and improved their spacing to prepare for the state tournament.
Practices, which included cone and shooting drills, were held every Friday from noon to 3 p.m. at a park near Alvarez’s house. Maya coached alongside her father, Eduardo Alvarez, who was bedridden for two years after he was involved in a work-related accident in 1994.
“Seeing how much of a leader [my dad] is has assisted me in becoming the coach that I am today,” Alvarez said.
After practicing for a month, the team made the journey to Orlando to compete in the state tournament, which was held on May 19 and 20. It consisted of two matches with two 15-minute halves.
In the tournament, the Sharks earned a 5-0 win against the Duval Arc Village Outlaws from Jacksonville and a decisive 9-0 victory against the Leon Lightnings of Tallahassee.
“My dream is to win and have fun,” said 32-year-old Kevin Jn-Marie.
The team’s star was Darian Sierra, a 24-year-old who is hearing impaired. He scored three goals in the first game and five goals in the second game.
“It’s my passion,” Sierra said.
Outside the pitch, the team bonds by staying in touch on WhatsApp, bowling, dining at Chili’s and volunteering at NEVA King Cooper—a school for students with disabilities where English has served as assistant principal since 2021.
After practice, the team also hangs out in Alvarez’s garage for hours to discuss shared interests like Star Wars and Marvel movies.
“We [are] just trying to see what’s next for us,” said 21-year-old Kenneth Vincent who compared the team to a family. “This is what keeps us going.”
Next month, the Sharks Unified flag football team will begin practicing for the State Fall Classic that will take place on November 10 and 11 in Orlando.
“Seeing the kids’ smiles and how joyful they were makes me happy; it fills my heart,” said Fiorella Yantani-Coto, who serves as the MDC Sharks assistant coach. “Experiencing that with them is more meaningful than actually winning.”
To join the MDC Sharks Unified soccer team, contact Maya Alvarez at maya.alvarez001@mymdc.net.
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