FAMRINGTON — Young athletes of all abilities had a chance to show off their soccer skills in Farmington on Thursday morning.

The Davis School District, in conjunction with the Davis Education Foundation, hosted the fourth annual Unified Sports soccer tournament.

“Unified Sports, a Special Olympics program, unites athletes with and without disabilities to train and compete together, breaking down barriers and fostering friendships both on and off the field,” a press release on the event said. “This event reflects the best of what our community can achieve when we come together in kindness, respect, and unity. Students, teachers, and families gather for a day filled with passion, laughter, and competition, showcasing the unique strengths and talents of every participant.”

Kim Johnson, healthy lifestyles supervisor with the Davis School District, told the Standard-Examiner teams can qualify for state and regional tournaments.

“(The first year) we had seven of our nine schools participated,” she said. “Now we have all nine of our high schools that are participating. Each (school) brings at least two teams, so it’s really grown.”

She said that Unified Sports in the district have been expanding well beyond soccer.

“We do soccer in the fall, we do basketball in the winter, we do track in the spring and then we’ve been able to add Unified golf to our junior highs and also added Unified snowshoe and Unified decathlon to our elementary schools,” she said.

Johnson said Thursday’s event brought around 300 participants out.

Dr. Timothy Best, healthy lifestyles director with the Davis School District, told the Standard-Examiner the growth of the event has really shown.

“It’s one of the best things we do all year,” he said. “The parents are just all-in. The schools are all-in. Our theme this year is, ‘Everyone.’ Unified Sports just epitomizes what that theme is for our district.”

Johnson said tournaments like Thursday’s bring out the best in people.

“It’s just about camaraderie, about friendships, about building team and about helping our students know that it’s not just about winning; it’s about becoming a great team member, about learning the sport, becoming active and just living a healthy lifestyle, how to be a good sport and how to be a good friend to all,” she said.

Best said the positivity extends beyond the event.

“It spreads into the school,” he said. “These kids are rockstars. They’re treated like superstar athletes that they are and it spreads.”

Jodi Lunt, executive director of the Davis Education Foundation, told the Standard-Examiner she was ecstatic about the turnout.

“For me, this is the capstone of what inclusion and belonging means,” she said. “It’s when we all come together, regardless of our abilities, and we play, and we build, and we create friendships and relationships and we learn how to succeed and fail together.”