Even though Fall Fest only lasts for three days in November, the mission of inclusion is shared all-year round on Villanova’s campus.
Unified Sports is a nationwide program led by Special Olympics that brings individuals with and without intellectual disabilities together to compete on the same sports team. More than 10,800 schools across the country offer Unified experiences, including Villanova.
The 2025 Unified Committee consists of seniors Joe Ciampa and Hannah Weldon and junior Grace Fonkalsrud.
“I would say that the main goal of Unified is to encourage athlete partner interactions, both on the field and off the field,” Fonkalsrud said.
Throughout the academic year, the Committee hosts two campus-wide Unified events where both Villanova students and local SpO athletes are invited to partake in a day of athletic competition that includes a bracket-style tournament, food and community.
This year’s spring soccer event was unfortunately canceled due to severe weather.
In late September, Unified hosted a basketball event that gathered approximately 50 athletes and over a hundred students to the West Courts on a Sunday morning.
“It’s the coolest place to be able to compete alongside the athletes who work so hard all year in their respective sports and be able to form relationships with them through those sports,” Unified Chair Ciampa said. “Being on this committee allows us to uplift that and bolster that to the greatest level.”
Beyond the annual events, Unified also always plays an impactful role at Fall Fest. This year, the committee incorporated new changes to Unified programming.
“It used to be called the ‘Fall Fest Experience,’ but now we have tried to revamp it and get more involved in encouraging partner-athlete interactions by renaming it the ‘Unified Zones,’” Weldon said. “We’ll have events all weekend to try to bridge the gap between partners and athletes.”
The Unified Committee will be hosting events for athletes and partners to participate in from Friday to Sunday.
Prior to Opening Ceremony on Friday, a home run derby and yard games will be occurring on Mendel Field from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The first-ever kickball tournament will be held Saturday on Mendel Field from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Additionally, “morning stretches” will be occurring at the Oreo on Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The Unified Committee has been planning these programs for Fall Fest since the early spring.
“My first experience with Special Olympics at Villanova was at the fall Unified basketball event my freshman year,” Fonkalsrud said. “So it’s really full circle being on the other side of that and actually getting to plan those events and seeing all of our visions come to life.”
In addition to planning and executing events throughout the year, Villanova Unified has the opportunity to partner with local Special Olympics team, the Montgomery County “MC Hammers” to provide partners for their Unified flag football team.
The Villanova MC Hammers Unified partners often include SpO Committee or VC members.
“We are the liaisons between Villanova students and the MC Hammers to get to volunteer on that team, which is a really unique opportunity,” Ciampa said. “We get to go to practices all year-round for that.”
The MC Hammers Unified team will have the chance to compete in front of the Villanova community at Fall Fest this year.
“The most important part about Unified Sports is the relationships you make with both the athletes and other partners,” Weldon said. “I feel like that’s the most rewarding part that I’ve gotten out of it, and it means just making sure everyone feels included and welcomed.”
“Play Unified, Live Unified” is a motto that extends beyond the athletic venues of Villanova’s Fall Fest. It encompasses the international Unified mission of athletes and partners coming together for some friendly competition and to promote the message of inclusion together.
