Continuing their quest for the top spot

Wheelchair athletes making a statement

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Cheers and screams filled the court of the “Yes We Can” Community Center on Jan. 16, as Elmont residents Jack Lopez and Christopher Saint-Remy, along with the rest of the Nassau Kings wheelchair basketball team, competed in a tournament with other teams in Division III of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Each team is vying for a position to compete at nationals in mid April, as the top 22 teams are invited for a chance to play for the title.

Jack has been playing basketball since he was 12. He was already confined to a wheelchair by that age, as he was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that causes the spine to develop improperly. Jack was able to walk as a child, all be it with a limp. His legs, however, began to deteriorate quickly, as he needed a cane to walk, then a crutch, then two crutches, until he was completely wheelchair bound. At that time Jack was measured for his first wheelchair. The doctor asked the 12 year-old, if he was interested in sports, as most children his age are. The doctor knew of a youth wheelchair basketball team, the Long Island Lightning that Jack could be interested in.

“I wanted nothing to do with it,” Jack said, recalling his first interaction with wheelchair basketball. “It took me a good month and a half before I actually said alright lets go.”

When he did, Jack instantly fell in love with it. The game is much more physical then you might think, Jack said. The wheelchairs are made specifically for basketball as the wheels are at an angle, coming to almost a point at the top of the chair. This is done, Jack said, to make it easier to turn and pivot. The rules of the game are the same as able-bodied basketball, as picks and cuts make up a large part of the strategy. Picking, in particular, is crucial according to Jack, since the chairs can move at such a quick pace.

The speed and pace of the game is something that attracted Chris—Jack’s childhood friend. Chris was born without a fully formed right leg. He’s worn a prosthetic his entire life. Chris also was born without stomach muscles, which makes it nearly impossible for him to lift himself up if bent over. Chris was however, passionate about the game of basketball, and since he had a prosthetic limb, he was able to play with able-bodied people. Chris was hesitant at first to join the Kings due to his desire to play able-bodied basketball. It wasn’t until Chris’s mother, Thea, urged him to play that he finally relented.

“I kind of fell in love with it,” Chris said. “It gave me the opportunity to travel and go to school.”

Chris was so adept at the sport that he was offered a scholarship to play at University of Arizona in 2011.

For Jack, growing up differently from the other kids, was difficult though he always had the support of family. They made an effort to always treat him the same regardless of his disability. His mother brought him up to be self-sufficient.

“My family always treated me as a normal kid,” he said. “I had chores to do, I had school. They never wanted me to get to that mindset that alright, you’re disabled.”

By having that mindset and the desire to play sports, Jack was able to excel in wheelchair basketball. The Kings are in Division III, which is one notch below the Championship division. That level features some of the best athletes in the country, Jack said. The local team, the New York Rollin Knicks is a favorite for the two men.

“They are the ones that sponsored by pro teams,” said Jack.

Some of the teams that are overseas are professional, said Chris, in that they are paid to play the game. Chris actually had the opportunity to play for the Rollin Knicks last year.

“He left us because he went to go play for the Knicks,” said Thea. “I myself was not happy because he was leaving us and we are like a family but he promised me he’d come back.”

Chris did fulfill his promise, and came back to the Kings for this season.

For more information on the Kings visit, nassaukings.org, for more information on the NWBA visit nwba.org.