FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Special Olympics Massachusetts and the New England Revolution, in partnership with Arbella Insurance, welcomed 16 Special Olympics Massachusetts athletes and Unified Sports® partners to the 2023 New England Revolution Unified Team last week at Gillette Stadium.
The 16 members of the 2023 Revolution Unified Team signed their contracts and received their official Revolution uniforms, as they were welcomed to the club by Revolution President Brian Bilello, Technical Director Curt Onalfo, Unified Team Head Coach Deb Godbout, and Arbella Insurance Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Gayle O’Connell. Revolution players Andrew Farrell and Tommy McNamara were also on hand to welcome their new Unified teammates to the club, while Revolution Public Address Announcer Mike ‘Sarge’ Riley emceed the event.
“The Revolution’s partnership with our friends at Special Olympics Massachusetts and Arbella Insurance to host this Unified team stands apart as one of the most special and rewarding things we do as a club,” said Revolution President Brian Bilello. “Soccer is the most inclusive sport in the world, and we are so proud to work with Special Olympics, which encourages everyone to choose to include, and these amazing athletes and volunteers.”
This year’s program of events also features the return of Bowl for a Goal Presented by Arbella Insurance at Splitsville Luxury Lanes in Patriot Place, providing fans an opportunity to spend an evening alongside Revolution players and Unified Athletes with proceeds benefitting Special Olympics Massachusetts. To date, Bowl for a Goal has raised over $350,000 for Special Olympics Massachusetts. General admission tickets are now on sale for $30 and may be purchased online here. As the club’s longstanding partner in support of the Revolution Unified Team, Arbella Insurance will once again sponsor the team and serve as presenting sponsor of Bowl for a Goal.
“We are elated to kick off another season of Unified soccer with Special Olympics Massachusetts and the Revolution. These athletes are a true inspiration, and the Arbella Insurance Group is proud to play a part in supporting the Unified Sports® program,” added Gayle O’Connell, Chief Marketing Officer of the Arbella Insurance Group. “We are excited to celebrate the team at Bowl for a Goal in June.”
Now in its ninth season, the Revolution Unified Team’s mission is to leverage the power of sports to promote an environment of inclusion and friendly competition. The Revolution Unified Team will play two matches this season, one home and one away, this season. The team takes the field at Gillette Stadium to host the Chicago Fire FC Unified Team on Saturday, June 17 before traveling to play the Nashville SC Unified Team on Sunday, August 20 at Geodis Park in Tennessee.
“We are clearly seeing the fruits of the past nine years,” said Mary Beth McMahon, President and CEO of Special Olympics Massachusetts. “We enjoyed record turnout at this year's tryout of both Special Olympics Athletes and Unified Partners. The work done by the Revs and the support shown by Arbella have helped grow this team which has led to better soccer play at the local community level. The players who have been part of this team in the past point to it as a turning point in their Special Olympics careers, but more importantly as a turning point in their lives. We cannot wait to see what comes from the team this season.”
2023 Revolution Unified Team Roster
Special Olympics Massachusetts Athletes
Matthew Cobb Norton, Mass.
Micheal Howe Sharon, Mass.
Reid Koropey Cohasset, Mass.
James Koshivas Ipswich, Mass.
Tristan Labelle Oxford, Mass.
John Stanley Salem, Mass.
Sofia Texiera Hingham, Mass.
Radley Theolien Boston, Mass.
William Wise Boxford, Mass.
Unified Sports® Partners
Ryan Benoit Dedham, Mass.
Amelia Jackson Harmony, R.I.
Isabella Martins Framingham, Mass.
Ian Miller Attleboro, Mass.
Esvin Morales Attleboro, Mass.
Tyler Rocchio Attleboro, Mass.
Remy St. Germain Holden, Mass.
About Special Olympics Massachusetts
Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) provides year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programming for over 13,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities across the state in over 450 year-round sporting competitions. Through the power of sport, the movement transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Massachusetts also works with hundreds of schools across the Commonwealth, using sports as a tool to create inclusive communities. Learn more at www.specialolympicsma.org.
About Unified Sports
Special Olympics Massachusetts is proud to have founded the Unified Sports program in 1984. Although the initiative began locally, today it is featured in over 120 countries globally through the international Special Olympics Movement. Officially launched in 1989, Special Olympics Unified Sports has gained momentum over the last three decades due in large part to multiple partners and supporters who have facilitated the growth of the program, such as ESPN, the Department of Education, Lions Club International and many other sports leagues, companies and associations. The Unified Sports competitive model combines Special Olympics athletes and partners as teammates on sport teams for training and competition. All athletes and partners on a Unified Sports competitive team must have attained the necessary sport-specific skills and tactics to compete and teams that participate in this model may be eligible for advancement to Regional and World Games.
About the Arbella Insurance Group
Established in 1988, the Arbella Insurance Group (www.arbella.com) is an A rated company by AM Best, with more than $800 million in revenue and approximately $1.8 billion in assets. Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, Arbella is a customer-focused, regional property and casualty insurance company, providing commercial insurance products in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, and personal insurance products in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Recognized as one of the Boston Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” for 13 consecutive years, Arbella is deeply committed to maintaining high levels of employee satisfaction and supporting a positive and inclusive workplace culture. Arbella attributes its success to their dedicated employees, strong agent partnerships and community focus.
