Huron Expositor, 2009-04-01, Page 12Fe
Page 12 The Huron Expositor 4+ April 1, 2009
Wheelchair basketball player gives others how e
Susan Hundertmark '-a* the skills needed to excel at both regu-
{` lar and wheelchair basketball "take
Navigating 10 sport wheelchairs the whole nine yards."
around the gym at St. James School, Eric, who's in Grade 7 at Holy Name
students got a chance last week to of Mary- School in St. Marys, just
try out wheelchair basketball with made the senior basketball team at
-13-year-old St. Marys athlete Eric his school and will be competing April
Voss. 7 in his wheelchair during the Huron
_And, while they learned how much Perth District Catholic School Board
more upper body strength they need tournament for elementary schools at
to make a basket from a wheelchair St. Anne's Secondary School April7.
than from their feet, their first ques- While Eric has spina bifida and can
tion of Eric was, "When can we do this walk, he needs to use a wheelchair to
again" walk long distances.
Eric, his parents Heather and Matt Its the first time they've allowed a
Voss and his coach Zbny Reynen of the disabled kid to play on the court at the
London Wheelchair Basketball As- same time with the other basketball
sociation brought the wheelchairs to players," said Heather.
St. James to spread some awareness She added that small modifications
about athletes with disabilities. are being made to the game keeping
"We're hoping to create some compas- Eric from entering the key to make
sion and respect. These kids (playing sure that players jumping for the ball
wheelchair basketball) are the same under the net will not land on the
but their sport is a little bit different," wheelchair.
said Eric's mom Heather, adding that After playing the sport for three
Yds Vander Ploeg, Grade 6, makes a pass.
years, Heather
said Eric has built
up a lot of upper
body strength and
can easily make
three -pointers
from his chair.
In wheelchair
basketball, play-
ers are allowed to
push their wheel-
chairs twice before
they have to pass
or shoot if they're
not going to be
called for a'travel-
ling penalty. Oth-
er than that, the
rules are .identical
in both games.
"This will open
it up for other kids
with disabilities,"
she said, adding
that St. James
student Ross
McGrath, who also
enior Games corrin;
S}man Hundertms-t _ •
With the deadline for registration
coming up on April 17, it's time for
local seniors to enrol in the Senior
tT; Games, held throughout Huron,
Perth and Middlesex Counties.
"We want to get seniors participat-
ing and out there active," says Sea -
forth organizer Beth Pryce.
She says about 30 Seaforth-area
seniors have been signing up to take
part for the past two to three years.
"It's been fairly constant over the
last few years," she says : adding that
uses a wheelchair,
had some fun ' Ty-
ing the sport.
St. James prin-
cipal Joanne Lom-
bardi said she
asked the Vosses
to come to the
school to deepen
students' under-
standing about
the opportunities
open to people
with disabilities.
"There are so
many opportu-
nities in these
sports," added
Heather.
Along with his
first love of bas-
ketball, Eric plays
sledge hockey,
tennis and golf.
A member of the
Forest City Flash
(the junior Lon-
don wheelchair
basketball team),
Eric is trying out
for the Ontario
junior wheelchair
basketball team Kendra'Feeney, Ede
and is currently 'drllls.before playkg.
being featured on
a TVO Kids segment called Mark's
Moments, focussing on kids with dis-
abilities involved in sports, whichairs
Wednesdays from 5-6 p.m. and Satur-
days at 10:25 a.m.
His coach Reynen, who plays for the
competive Forest City Flyers wheel-
chair basketball team, said Eric is do-
ing very well on the Flash team.
"Eric has a good chance to make it to
the Paralympics some day if he stays
with it," he said.
Reynen said travelling to various
schools and getting students to try out
wheelchair basketball promotes the
sport and spreads awareness.
"It gets them to know what it feels
Susan Hundertmark photos
Voss and Em, McGrath practise passing
a wheelchair basketball game. •
like to be in a wheelchair and shows
them another sport that can be played
that's even harder than `stand up bas-
ketball.' And, if they see wheelchair
basketball on TV, they can say they've
tried it," he said.
Ross McGrath, of Seaforth, said , he
liked trying out wheelchair basketball,
throwing the ball and playing against
friends.
His mom Effie, who also got to try
the sport, said she's interested in the.
opportunity for Ross.
"I loved it ' ,I thought it was cool,"
she said, adding that she's going to
look into renting a sport wheelchair
for Ross to use over the summer.
to Huron County next month
despite the fact that last year, Sea -
forth hosted the crokinole and lawn
bowling events, this year nothing
is actually being held right in Sea -
forth.
"We are at the north end of the re-
gion," she explains.
There are 25 events seniors can
choose to participate in, from playing
various card games to more active
events like swimming and triathlon.
Pryce says that while Seaforth se-
niors used to flock to the card games,
they are more likely these days to
participatetinithe mere ►active'event&
like swimming, golf and lawn bowl-
ing.
Events held in Huron County this
year include solo in Dashwood on
May 14, carpet bowling in Exeter
on May 20, bid euchre in Zurich on
May 21, crokinole in Exeter on May
27, walking in Goderich on June 1 or
2 and cribbage in Goderich on June
17.
In Perth County, events include
scrabble in St. Marys on May 26, five -
pin bowling in Stratford on May 29,
shuffleboard in St. Marys on June 3,
golf in :Mitche,11.pn June 9, 1 , pit, h,
in Stratford on June 5, lawn bowling
in Stratford on June 8, swimming
and triathlon in St. Marys -on June
9, bocci in St. Marys on June 10 and
euchre in St. Marys on June 18.
In Middlesex County, ' events in -
chide duplicate bridge in Strathroy
on May 13, 10 -pin bowling in Lon-
don on May 19, darts in Parkhill on
May 22, contract bridge on May 25 in
Glencoe and pepper in Lucan on May
28.
To register, call Marty Bedard at
519-527-0160.