Landon Toll

BY KIERA OLUOKUN

10th grader Landon Toll is no stranger to excelling on the court. Currently, Landon plays for the Vilonia SOARing Eagles—a unified basketball team for junior high and high school students. This year his team won state runner-up in the Unified State Basketball Tournament—an achievement that Landon is very proud of.

Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities together on teams for training and competition. The concept of unified sports is training and playing together will help form a quick path for friendship and helps athletes with and without intellectual disabilities understand one another. Typically, the league holds a 1-day tournament for teams to compete in various sports. Landon, who has high-functioning autism, says that playing unified sports has allowed him to build friendships with “popular” athletes at his school. “There are amazing volunteers that help with the unified sports—both teachers and other studentathletes,” says April Toll, Landon’s mom. “It is all about inclusion and much broader than just sports. Playing a sport together then opens other opportunities like sitting together in the lunchroom which helps build a stronger foundation for friendships.”

According to Landon and April, his love for sports came naturally as he has always been surrounded by athletics. Landon’s older brother, Drake, is currently a student at Baylor and a sports announcer. Lila, Landon’s younger sister is just an “overall athlete,” according to April. Landon has played with the Special Olympic Unified Sports league since 5th grade; however, he got his start at

the age of 5 playing for the Conway Braves. Since he has involved himself with the Vilonia High School band, the bowling team, fishing, and he is the official scorekeeper for Vilonia High School softball games, however, basketball is Landon’s favorite sport to play. Landon who stands 6’4 and describes himself as “tall,” uses his skill and height to exercise two of his strengths on the court— layups, and rebounds. He also enjoys shooting half-court shots and 3-pointers, which he does as a pre-game ritual to warm up.

Off the court April describes Landon as “just the best kid—he’s an angel on Earth!” Although Landon was diagnosed with autism, that has not stopped him from pursuing the things that he is passionate about. Landon is loved by his peers and family alike and he wants to use his platform and love for sports to bring more awareness to the Special Olympics and help others understand more about getting involved with unified sports. He wants to share the message of social inclusion through sports and how the league brings forth an opportunity to build relationships with people with different intellectual abilities and backgrounds. Outside of building relationships, Landon says that unified sports allow him to play all the sports that he wants to play. He has enjoyed building relationships so much that after graduating, Landon plans on returning to Vilonia High School as a paraprofessional to work. “He loves Vilonia High School and the people there so much that he just wants to stay there,” says April. Find out more information or become involved with unified sports in Arkansas at www.

specialolympicsarkansas.org.