Special and Unique People who are Exceptional and Remarkable Ballers meet up Saturdays in the spring and fall. Grafton Integrated Health Network—a Virginia special needs center with several day schools—partnered up with Chris Rhone from Unique Hoops Academy, who started the SUPERB basketball team with Clyde Williams for kids with physical and mental disabilities in the Shenandoah Valley.
“We wanted to provide an opportunity for clients to feel like they were part of a team outside of Grafton,” says Samuel Butler from Grafton, who helped strengthen the program and whose grandson was part of the league.
Teams are formed by skill, rather than age. What initially started as a way to teach the kids basketball turned out to be an opportunity to create a deeper community. “We’re doing more than just building confidence—we’re unlocking opportunities and helping turn dreams into reality for each and every child,” says Rhone. Grafton.org, UniqueHoops.com
Featured photo by Grafton Integrated Health Network. This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue.
