Lansing State Journal
June 2006, Page 1A
By Tricia Bobeda
Moses Davis rode his bike. Lydell Allen took the bus. Ayiesha Ewing’s ride could only bring her halfway, so she walked the rest.
That’s how motivated the Lansing teens were to get to basketball practice at Gier Community Center.
“Coach said we have to play like it’s the NBA finals – come out hard and be ready,” said 16-year-old James Clark, who sported a Denver Nuggets jersey as he shot baskets.
In Special Olympics, James and his teammates are the superstars.
On Saturday, they’ll head to Ames, Iowa, to represent not just Lansing but the whole state in the first-ever national Special Olympics Games. And they’re getting the star treatment.
“We’re going by private jet,” 16-year-old James Johnson said with a wide grin that didn’t fade even as he ran up and down the court.
When they’re playing basketball, the 11 teens leave behind the stigma of the mental impairments that too often define them.
“We want them to have a good time at practice,” coach Glenn Lopez said. “They have enough pressure in their everyday life.”
Convoy of jets
On Saturday, Team Michigan will fly to Iowa on small jets with the rest of the state’s delegation – 62 athletes plus coaches and chaperones. The planes will take off in a convoy, one every 90 seconds, with up to 10 people on board.
The players attend Lansing Eastern and Everett high schools and are among 3,500 athletes representing all 50 states. Special Olympics and local sponsors cover the cost.
“Some of the kids are a little nervous because they’ve never been on a plane before, let alone one of these small ones,” Lopez said.
The goal of Special Olympics is to condition athletes for more than the next big game. It’s about building confidence. So instead of wind sprints, push-ups and wall jumps, the final practices before the tournament were full of high fives, hugs and applause.
“Way to go, James,” Lopez yelled after a basket. “Nice job, man!” His words of encouragement echoed constantly in the gym for the 90 minutes of practice. With their hard work and Lopez’s support, the players have achieved something they can be proud of.
“Some of these kids couldn’t get the ball halfway to the basket when we started,” he said. ‘All about them’ Ask anyone on the team who the best player is, and they’ll point out Harvey Edwards. Which teammate do they consider a friend? Same answer. While Harvey struggles in the classroom, he’s a leader on the court.
The 17-year-old Everett student was the first in the gym. He got there early to shoot around, going in for the occasional dunk. The younger players watched in awe.
“It’s his world,” said his grandmother, Vernita Payne. “That’s all he does is eat, sleep, drink basketball.”
Edwards’ dunking impressed his teammates, but anyone who made a free throw got a round of applause, too.
“A lot of our athletes are segregated at school, but at Special Olympics, it’s all about them,” Special Olympics spokeswoman Heather Hutchins. “They’re the ones being cheered for.”
Creative play
After a year of practicing, the team is ready for nationals, James Johnson said. “When we’re practicing, everyone works hard and does an excellent job,” James said.
Ayiesha, one of two girls on the team, has a hearing impairment, so players have to be creative to communicate on the court.
During a game of 3-on-3, James used her name sign to signal he wanted her to pass him the ball. It’s important to him that all the players get to participate.
“I want to learn everything there is to know about sign language,” he said.
Rose Johnson, James’ mother, is looking into sign language classes for him. She said Special Olympics helps James make friends and feel more independent. She and his father are driving to Iowa to watch their son from the sidelines.
“It’s great,” she said, “because it gives him the opportunity to be in the spotlight.”
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