The MNUFC Unified team held its fourth official team training on Wednesday, ahead of its June 23 season debut against the Colorado Rapids Unified Team at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

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The team warmed up Wednesday, overseen by the Minnesota United Academy staff, with dribbling drills and a light stretch before they took to the pitch for a short scrimmage. Near the end of training, the Unified players were joined by members of Minnesota’s first team. Defender Eric Miller, who has been involved in both the MNUFC and Rapids communities, shared how important the inclusion of a Unified team is to players on the first team.

 “Unified programming has always been an amazing thing for me to be a part of since I started two seasons ago,” Miller said. “It’s awesome to share our facilities with the Unified athletes and to see how excited they are to use some of the things we take for granted. It’s also great to teach them and give them advice, but we probably learn more from them than they do from us."

The Unified team flies to Colorado on Friday, newly equipped with Adidas team gear. They will attend a Colorado Rockies baseball game Friday night, then kickoff against the Rapids Unified Team at the conclusion of MNUFC vs. Colorado.

The first home match of 2018 for the MNUFC Unified Team will take place at TCF Bank stadium on Sept. 21 against the Wisconsin Unified Club.

In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Minnesota United Unified players signed their official contracts in early May.