When Rick Clark and his wife wanted to give their oldest son, Jacob, an opportunity to play basketball, they found that they needed to create a new program for him and others.
“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.
