For Higley High School athlete Robert Sarmiento, the Unified Sports program is a family activity.

Unified Sports is an Arizona Interscholastic Association program that, according to its website, provides students with intellectual disabilities and other high school students to work together and participate in different sports throughout the school year.

Sarmiento, a senior, has been playing for the Unified program every year in his high school career. Two years ago, when his younger brother, sophomore Jacob Sarmiento, became a high school student, he too joined the program but as a partner.

“It’s (Unified Sports) done wonders,” Jacob and Robert’s mother Jessica Holguin said. “Robert was very shy, very quiet. It’s actually made him more open, good friendships (and) very outgoing now then he was.  And when brother came to be helper, it brought them closer. This is the first time they actually got to play sports together.”

For the fall, Unified Sports has its football season, which wrapped up Oct. 20 with a tournament at Poston Butte High School. Three students with intellectual disabilities and two students called partners take the field to compete against other participating high schools in a game of flag football.

Due to Robert Sarmiento’s disability, he has a pace maker and was never able to participate in any sports growing up. So while his younger brother played football and other sports he had to watch from the sidelines and cheer him on.

“He is a major football fan, and the Cardinals are his favorite team,” Holguin said. “So watching Jacob play and stuff, it was harder, him being the older brother and watching the younger one play.”

Higley High School participates in the Unified Sports program’s leagues of football, soccer, basketball and track and field throughout the year, competing against other East Valley schools.

Holguin was surprised when her oldest son answered what his favorite sports to participate in are. Robert Sarmiento loves football and that has always been his favorite, but once he started playing different sports through the Unified Sports program he realized how fun the other sports are, she said.

“Soccer and basketball (are my favorites),” Robert Sarmiento said.

The family didn’t know about the Unified Program until Robert Sarmiento’s transition to high school and when the family found about it they were excited.

“The fact that he had the opportunity to play sports we didn’t think he would be able to do that,” Holguin said. “Seeing him grow in the last four years and the fact that these two actually got to play together (are the best things the program brought for the family.)”

Higley coach Jeff Carranza has been coaching the Unified Sport’s team for three years and loves watching the student athletes grow.

“I think just the kids, the athletes, are just genuine and being around them and feeding off their happiness and energy they have,” Carranza said. “That is the most fun.”