The post Innovate San Diego first appeared on Shooting Stars.

“We tried typical basketball, but the speed of the game and the rules were too much for our highly functioning autistic son to handle,” he says. “Having coached special needs soccer before, we set out to design a program that would make a difference for our son and other kids like him.”

What they created was the Shooting Stars program, part of the San Marcos Youth Basketball League, for players 5 to 22 years old with varying special needs, including autism, Down syndrome and other physical and mental challenges. The program started in 2006 and there were a handful of players. Shooting Stars has grown over the years to include more than 100 players, along with coaches and volunteers who work with the kids to develop fundamental basketball skills while having fun.

Clark, 48, lives in San Marcos with his wife, Emmie, and their sons Jacob and Jonathan. He balances the basketball program between his place in his family and his full-time work in their real estate business and as a sales representative for a software company. He took some time to talk about how they got Shooting Stars off the ground, what people get from the program and his brief stint as a tennis coach abroad.

Q: Tell us about Shooting Stars. 

A: San Marcos Youth Basketball Shooting Stars Special Needs program was created as an inclusive program designed for children to learn and enjoy the game of basketball in a fun, non-competitive environment. The program is really built around the social aspects of being on a team and building the bonds that that environment can create.

Q: Why was this something you wanted to do?

A: I will not say that we sat home before we had kids and thought about building a program like this. We built it simply because we wanted a basketball program that we could have our son Jacob play and that he would enjoy, without the pressures that can come with playing competitive basketball. We designed the program with fun as the goal.

Q: What did it take to get your program up and running?

A: It began because we were really in the right place at the right time. We looked for a basketball program locally and could not find one. We called the local recreational league (San Marcos Youth Basketball), and they were very open to the idea. We had some coaches and buddies from our days of coaching other sports for special needs kids, and we added more as word got out about the program. The first year we had just one team, so not much equipment was needed. We have been very fortunate to find some amazingly open-minded, resourceful, selfless and big-hearted people as we have built this program.

What I love about San Marcos …

San Marcos has so much to offer: the weather, proximity to the ocean, George Burgers. But we find that the reason we love it here is that we have great neighbors and friends, and it just feels like home.

Q: Why have you continued with the program over the years?

A: We have continued because of the kids, plain and simple. There is nothing like seeing these kids do things other kids take for granted, like make a basket for the first time or build a friendship with a volunteer. The smiles and joy that can bring keeps us coming back.

Q: Why do you think kids with special needs need a program like Shooting Stars?

A: I think kids with special needs can easily get overlooked when trying to play sports, especially as they get older. They might not act like other kids, they might not understand the rules of the game, or they may just move too slowly to play in a typical game. Shooting Stars not only gives them the opportunity to play, it gives them an unimpeded chance to excel, whatever that means to each individual player.

Q: What are buddies? 

A: Buddies are typically high school or middle school students and they are partnered with a special needs player (as much as possible) for the entire season. The main role of the buddies is to help the players have fun and learn the fundamentals of basketball. They are helpers who offer encouragement and make the game fun for the practice part of our hour, and act as the opposing team for the second half of the hour, while still engaging their player. Our buddies have been exceptional in their patience and desire to help these special players. We have been very fortunate to have such a committed group year after year.

Q: How does your program work?

A: We have one hour each Sunday during our season for our game and practice. For the first half, which is the practice, we have the buddies work one-on-one or in small groups with the special needs players, working loosely on the fundamentals of passing, dribbling and shooting, and fun. For the second half, the game, we play our game in which the buddies become the opposing team, but still stick with their assigned player. There are also coaches on the court at all times to help facilitate the game. At the end of the game, we have our snack time and have awards for players of the game.

Q: What are the ways in which you modify your coaching, practices or games for special needs children that may be different from kids without special needs? 

A: Almost everything about the way we run Shooting Stars is modified from what a typical basketball game would look like. We alter rules and approaches, including using basketball hoops that are four and six feet tall, having buddies be the other team during games, and buddies being more interested in helping their players to have fun than in winning themselves. We modify the game to help them to be as successful as they can.

Q: Your son, Jacob, was 7 when you started the program and now he’s 18. Does he still play?

A: He still plays for two of our older teams and has a lot of fun doing it. He’s a player, greeter, front desk helper and set-up person. Everybody at Shooting Stars knows and loves Jacob.

Q: What kind of feedback have you received from families about the program over the years?

A: They like the program because it gives their children a chance to play in an environment that is comfortable and fun, with coaches and buddies who are there just for their kids. The true testament to this is that we have grown from eight players in our first year, to 147 players this season.

Q: What have the kids in the program said about it over the years?

A: With the players, their faces say it all. Having buddies and coaches work with the kids individually to help them do things like dribble, pass and shoot baskets, and then to see the players do something for the first time and light up, there is just nothing like it. With the buddies in the program, we didn’t envision the profound affect that working with our special needs kids would have on them when we started. The feedback we get from the buddies is that working with these special needs kids is one of the best things they have done in their lives. The work is not always easy, but it is completely rewarding and in that way, I think it forever changes the way they see the world.

Q: What’s been rewarding about this work for you?

A: It is all about the special needs kids and knowing that you had a part in making kids happy, especially kids who have challenges in their lives that most of us cannot even imagine. Seeing the special needs kids grow and progress, year after year, and overcoming challenges along with the buddies adding that spark by building lifelong bonds with these special kids — that is the ultimate reward.

Q: What have you learned about yourself as a result?

A: I have learned that I can be a lot more resourceful than I ever thought I could be, and that it takes a full team of amazing, dedicated people to pull off what we do each week.

Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: “If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen.”

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: I played college tennis at Palomar College, and played and coached tennis in Australia and New Zealand with a team from San Diego for parts of two summers around the end of high school.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: Our lives really revolve around our kids and their sports, so my ideal weekend is to be anywhere my sons are playing sports.

Read the full article on San Diego Union Tribune

The post Grooming stars through sports first appeared on Shooting Stars.

This isn’t your typical basketball game, but the players don’t know that. This is the Shooting Stars Basketball League.

The league is designed for children and adults, ages 5 to 22, who have physical and mental disabilities. The program was started by Rick and Emmie Clark of San Marcos, who have an autistic son, Jacob. His love of the game inspired them to start the league so that he, and others like him, could enjoy basketball, Rick Clark said.

Rachel Cintron chases after player Katie Stashek as she takes off down the court with the ball. “Hey, Katie, you’re traveling!” yells Rachel.

Players compete against volunteers during games at Corky Smith Gym in San Marcos. The rules are lax. Traveling and double-dribbling aren’t a problem. Scoring and having fun are the game’s objectives.

With previous experience coaching special-needs soccer and helping with a special-needs baseball team, the Clarks began the program in January 2007 with eight players, 10 volunteers and four high school coaches. Today, the league boasts 64 players (with youngsters still joining), 80 volunteers and 20 coaches.

Players’ disabilities include Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy.

In its first season, the Clarks recruited players from other activities, including baseball, soccer, football and karate.

Now in its fourth season, the league has grown exponentially through word-of-mouth and the support of the North County Consortium for Special Education.

Player Rachel Pine tried a Special Olympics basketball team before coming to the Shooting Stars league. Rachel looks forward to playing in the league because she gets to socialize with her buddy.

At the beginning of each season, players are paired with a buddy, usually friends, siblings or student volunteers who help the players have fun and learn basketball fundamentals.

Buddies benefit from the experience, too. “It’s great to see her hanging out with kids that she wouldn’t normally,” said Caroline Albright, whose daughter, Kelly, is a buddy. “When would she ever get a chance to do something like this?”

The league also helps parents. “As parents, we have to be involved with the kids all the time,” said Christine Franey, whose daughter, K.C., plays. “This program is designed for us to sit, chat and enjoy the game.”

The league’s mission is to ensure that all players feel a sense of belonging. At the beginning of each season, players are given T-shirts, uniforms and basketballs. On Jan. 10, the league had an appreciation day and invited the mascot of the Lake Elsinore Storm minor-league baseball team to shoot with the players. On Jan. 31, the last day of the season, there will be a pizza party. Coaches will hand out trophies, celebrating the players’ accomplishments over the past few months.

“The neat thing is to see them grow. … It’s almost like they’re our kids,” Rick Clark said.

Parents, buddies and coaches agree that the league is a safe environment for players to grow and socialize. “It’s a misnomer that these kids don’t want to be part of society. … We believe in inclusion for all,” said Bella’s mom, Karen.

Read the original article at the San Diego Union Tribune

The post Basketball league filled with stars first appeared on Shooting Stars.

SAN MARCOS – The first time Reed Albright went to a basketball game, he decided he wanted to watch instead of participate.

That decision lasted all of six minutes.

Now, Reed and 55 of his friends can be found at Corky Smith Gym in San Marcos every Sunday, playing and volunteering for San Marcos Youth Basketball and their Shooting Stars Basketball program.

Founded two years ago, the program was created so children with disabilities could learn and enjoy the game of basketball. Shooting Stars is designed for children with a variety of disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome and other physical and mental disabilities.

Nine-year-old Reed has been in a wheelchair since he was 3, after he suffered a stroke while undergoing surgery for a congenital heart defect.

“He was a little apprehensive at first,” said Reed’s mother, Julie Albright. “Now he loves it.”

In his most recent game, the San Marcos resident had six assists and three points in a 88-10 win over the coaches and volunteers.

Reed’s favorite part of playing was an easy choice.

“Shooting hoops and making hoops,” he said.

Read the full article at The San Diego Union Tribune

The post Program helps kids with disabilities enjoy basketball first appeared on Shooting Stars.