CENTERVILLE, Ohio — For children with disabilities, it’s can difficult for them to participate in sports, especially with able-bodied children. But for students in Centerville, that’s no longer the case. Now, there's a brand new way for kids of all abilities and it’s leading to success on and off the court.
What You Need To Know
- The Centerville Swervin' Elks is one of 13 wheelchair basketball teams in the state of Ohio formed under Adaptive Sports Ohio
- The team is made up of middle school and high school students who are disabled and those who are able-bodied
- Students who are disabled shared that this team allows them to be like everyone else
- Students who are able-bodied said they enjoy learning the sport in a new way and connecting with students they otherwise may not have
In an elementary school gym outside of Dayton, you’ll find 13 students in wheelchairs learning the game of basketball.
The Swervin’ Elks are made up of Centerville middle school and high school students with disabilities and those who are able-bodied.
“It’s actually really nice because I’ve always wanted to have friends that also have disabilities, but I’ve never met anybody, so it’s really cool to have people who are able-bodied and disabled," Ellie Davenport, a seventh-grade student on the team, said.
Davenport has spina bifida, which for her means she can’t feel her feet and walks with crutches for longer distances. The opportunity to play basketball was a dream come true for her.
“I was like super happy because my entire life I’ve always wanted to play basketball, but I couldn’t," she said. "So when I heard about this I was like what!”
Davenport said being a part of this team has made her more vocal and confident.
“I’ve just been quiet," she said. "I didn’t really talk in class and now, I feel like I’m talking to my teachers a lot more. I’m just more confident.”
And sports are known to instill confidence in the classroom, according to Adaptive Sports Ohio, which sponsors these teams, Ohio’s graduation rate for students with disabilities is just over 51% compared to over 82% overall. Adaptive Sports Ohio is hopeful access to adaptive sports will allow that number to rise. And that also starts with good mentors, like head coach Kenya Smith.
“I’ve learned that I can hold them accountable and I don’t have to hold back because of their disabilities, that they want that, and that they need that as well," Smith said.
He said he’s learned more than the kids have, including his own son, Ky, who has cerebral palsy.
“To see him run up and down the court with his disability with typical kids and then to ask him later which one he likes better, it made me feel pretty good that he really enjoys this," Smith said.
For kids like Ky and Ellie, getting their chance to play is something teammate Luke Wilcutt knows is a big deal.
“I see Ky in the hallway, I pass him every day, say hi to him, give him a little handshake," Wilcutt, a freshman on the team, said. "Sometimes I talk to him at lunch as well. Just kind of saying I’m there as a friend for you.”
Wilcutt is one of the able-bodied players, which he said was an adjustment to learn to play the game in a wheelchair.
“It’s been tough," Wilcutt said. "But I think once you get the hang of it, it kind of comes as muscle memory. You got to go from walking to you're walking with your hands pretty much.”
But it’s in these everyday moments that this team, made up of all different abilities, comes together.
“I feel like I’m the same as everyone else for once and I’m not just standing out," Davenport said. "Because my whole life, I’m always walking different and stuff, but now I’m like the same.”
The team was created this year thanks to Adaptive Sports Ohio, which is making sports more accessible for students with disabilities across the state. Right now, there are 13 teams in Ohio, with a hope of continuing to increase participation. The season comes to a close with a tournament with all the teams later this month.