Activities

Shooting Stars Basketball was created as an inclusive program designed for children ages 5+ with a variety of disabilities (including Autism, Down Syndrome and other physical and mental disabilities) to learn and enjoy the game of basketball in a fun, non-competitive environment.

Our goal is for kids to have fun and learn the fundamentals of the game of basketball in a recreational, non-competitive environment. The idea is to teach the kids with special needs the game of basketball without the pressure you might see on other teams, to feel a sense of accomplishment and community, and of course, to have fun.

Why This Program is Unique

What makes this program unique is that it gives a team of players and a defined group of buddies (some 1:1 and some floaters) a chance, over 9 weeks, to interact with each other in a way that many never otherwise present itself. The players get to be a part of a team in an environment that promotes stability, social interaction and repetition that many special needs individuals crave. The buddies get to see that our special needs kids are fun to be with and true bonds of friendship are forged. We get to see the impact these kids have on each other every season when we have our Opening Day. Players and buddies that may not have seen each other since the previous season are all smiles and they pick up right where they left off!

Weekly Game/Practice Format

We have one hour each Sunday during our season for our game and practice. Although each age group and team is a little different…the typical format is for the first half-hour, we have the buddies work one-on-one or in small groups with the special needs players. In this practice portion, we work on the fundamentals of passing, dribbling and shooting…and fun. For the second half-hour, we play our game. In the game, the buddies become the other team with coaches on the court at all times to help facilitate the game. At the end of each game, we meet at center court for “game balls” and a Big Cheer!!

Rules

We teach the players the fundamentals of basketball…including teamwork, as well as to dribble, pass and shoot. We also teach basic rules…but very lightly enforce them. We only use bounce passes as it is less likely that someone will get hurt. All the Shooting Stars players will play all or most of the game. The key is to keep the players active and moving. Our goal is to have one ball on the court during the game, but we determine what works best for each group as we progress through a bit of trial and error.

Players—Their Role

The players’ role is simply, no matter what their “different ability” may be, to have a great time playing a game we all love in a social and engaging environment.

Parents—Their Role

We try, as much as is possible, for parents to be able to do something with our program that they rarely get…a chance to sit on the sidelines and watch their child have a great time playing sports! At times, the parents may have to jump in and help (if we are short on volunteers or if their child is having a rough day), but hopefully they get to sit back and enjoy most of the time. We also encourage the parents who would like to get involved to jump in and help…coaching or other roles…helping on their player’s respective teams (check with us at the front desk).

How Do We Find Players

In our first season, we called a few of the families who had played soccer with us the previous season and had 8 that were interested in Basketball. From that first season, Shooting Stars has grown through word of mouth (primarily), through Special needs teachers/staff and NCCSE (North County Consortium for Special Education), where Rick and Emmie were given an award in 2009 for working with Special Needs Kids. We also grow by getting the word out to players in the other sports we have coached (baseball, soccer, football and karate). We enjoy tremendous support from families of players and former players and siblings/friends who participated in the typical SMYBB programs. Once we have families in the Shooting Stars program, they are our greatest advocates. We also spread the word via e-mail, social media and various resource fairs.