Despite losing their semifinal game by five points on Dec. 13, the Fords Prairie Elementary School fifth- and sixth-grade basketball team had a successful 2023 season in the Centralia Youth Basketball league.
The season was made all the more remarkable by the inclusion of two Fords Prairie Elementary School special education students on the team: sixth graders Aiden Hammett and John Allison.
“They need assistance, but they both really wanted to play basketball, and they wanted to be part of the team,” said Fords Prairie special education teacher Michael Smith. “Having the team be really successful has been such a bright moment for the families and the community. And the kids, obviously.”
The Centralia Youth Basketball program is an after school program, run by Centralia Youth Sports and sponsored by the Centralia School District, that allows students to practice two days a week and compete against all other Centralia elementary schools.
“The goal of this program is to provide a positive basketball environment emphasizing skill and character development, teach basketball fundamentals, and have fun at a minimal cost to families residing within our service district,” the program states on its website.
With help from teacher assistant Kris Tokstad, who has supported Aiden and John throughout their time in the Centralia School District, the two boys were able to play in the league this year.
“She goes to every practice with them,” Smith said of Tokstad. “She helps them not only with staying focused and helping them with comprehension of what's happening, but also with the social-emotional wellbeing of the child, because basketball practice is difficult. You have to run and it gets frustrating, right? Sometimes the ball hits you.”
Concerns about how John would handle the difficulties inherent to the sport were the main reasons why he wasn’t allowed to participate in basketball at his grade level at his previous school.
“They were worried about him getting pinned or knocked down, that he couldn't handle it,” said John’s mom, Angela Mason.
Participating in basketball this year in Centralia has been a completely different experience, Mason said.
“They actually got him involved … We teach him the skills and everything he needs for it, which is why I think he’s had a lot more fun this year than he’s had in the past with basketball.”
When asked about his experience playing basketball this year, John said that he had fun and that winning was his favorite part. With a chuckle, he also recalled a time during a game when he fell on the court and his teammates ran over to see if he was OK.
“I fell that one time and I was literally just laughing,” John said.
Tokstad said has enjoyed going to basketball practices with Aiden and John and is happy to offer that support to the boys and other special needs kids if it allows them to play.
“If they don’t have the opportunity to try, then they don’t know what they’re missing out on,” she said. “I think it's helped our kids stay focused. I think it’s helped our kids see what they can do. I think it's helped the other kids to maybe relate to the kiddos who aren’t like (them).”
It took some time for the team “to adjust to having two students who needed some extra assistance on the team,” Smith said. “But now they’ve realized that they’re really valuable members of the basketball team.”
Aiden and John have received strong support from their teammates, coaches, families, classmates, teachers and community members at all of their games this season, Smith said.
“When John and Aiden turn around, there are all their families, there are all the people at school who love them. The crowd is cheering them on. It’s just a purely positive, happy moment, and one of those things where I’m sure the kids will never forget how great it feels to be supported.”
Overall, Smith said, John and Aiden being on the basketball team has had a profound long-term effect on the school as a whole.
“We’re seeing the benefits of what it does in the long-term for kids and understanding that people are different and interacting with people who are different is part of life, and how we navigate that sometimes stressful situation is really important,” Smith said. “I think that’s the bigger learning lesson that’s coming out for the kids … How do we work together when maybe we feel like our abilities are different? It’s just really beautiful stuff.”
A few of Smith’s other special education students had success taking part in track and field in the fall, and some are interested in playing volleyball or wiffle ball later in the school year.
“Our hope is that the kids in this program and programs like this one see (the athletes) be really successful and having a great time, and then they go out and they participate more,” Smith said.
For more information about upcoming youth sports opportunities in Centralia, visit https://centraliayouthsports.org/.
