KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chase Hitchcock has one goal Saturday when the Sporting Kansas City Unified Team takes on Real Salt Lake at Swope Soccer Village.
“I'm going to be a forward,” Hitchcock said. “Mason Toye is a forward.”
Hitchcock is among the Special Olympians who make up half of the SKC Unified Team’s roster.
Toye and two other Sporting KC players, backup goalkeeper Ryan Schewe and forward Santiago Muñoz, dropped by the team’s scrimmage earlier in the week. He then delivered the game-tying goal in a scintillating comeback win against Charlotte FC on Wednesday at Children’s Mercy Park.
“He's a forward,” Hitchcock said. “He kicks the goal; he won. Mason Toye is my favorite player for soccer.”
Hitchcock hopes to provide similar heroics at 11 a.m. on Saturday when the Sporting KC Unified Team — a partnership between the MLS club, Special Olympics and the Victory Project — battles Real Salt Lake’s squad in the first game of a home-and-away series.
“We go all out for these players — from signed contracts at the stadium to custom-made replica jerseys with their names on it — to make them feel like they're really part of the first team,” Sporting KC Unified Team Coach Phil Gomez said.
During unified games, the Special Olympians play alongside partner players, including Valerie Fry.
“At practice, everyone is smiling almost the whole time,” she said. “Even if someone messes up, someone's laughing with them, so there's a lot of camaraderie around the love of the game.”
Fry said being part of the team is a magical experience.
“I love seeing how positive they all are,” she said. “... I feel like I'm learning to be more positive. The happiness is contagious. It's hard to be upset if something happens when there's so many happy people around you.”
The Sporting KC Unified and RSL Unified will be honored Friday night during the Royals game and again before the MLS side clash Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.
In between, Gomez hopes to see a good crowd cheer the teams at Children's Mercy Victory Field, the field with stadium seating at Swope Soccer Village, 6310 Lewis Road.
“If you can come out and support these athletes and players, I think you'd have a great time,” Gomez said. “And they'll put a smile on your face, too, if you're a fan.”
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KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.