By Laura Bishop
Ottawa Special Olympics (OSO) organizers and volunteers are working to ensure their first annual basketball tournament, the HOOP-LA invitational at Carleton University on March 250, offers competition and fun for both adaptive and competitive athletes.
According to tournament organizer and assistant coach Jean Traynor, all Special Olympic athletes have a type of intellectual disability, which can range from mild to severe.
During OSO basketball, players are divided into two groups: adaptive and competitive so everyone can compete against players of similar ability.
Traynor says adaptive athletes are still developing their skills or haven’t grasped all the rules yet.
Coaches and referees need to assist some adaptive players during a game by handing them the ball or telling them which way to run.
They don’t call travelling or double-dribble or some other traditional rules that would make for an impossibly long game, says Traynor.
Competitive players usually have more basketball experience and play by all official rules.
Special Olympics basketball has been present in Ottawa for about 10 years, but they never considered hosting the tournament until recently.
Traynor says the OSO decided if they were to host the tournament, they were going to do it right.
“The adaptive play portion of the tournament had to be something really great because we’ve been to other tournaments and they’ve tried but they’ve always focused more on the competitive side,” says Traynor.
A team of coaches, including Traynor and Mathieu Paradis, developed a skills and drills component for the tournament. That way, adaptive athletes will be challenged as much as competitive athletes, rather than watching from the sidelines as has happened in past tournaments.
Paradis says the adaptive play will allow all athletes to compete, but it will also show coaches areas where players have improved or where they need more help.
Tim MacLaren, a 22-year-old OSO adaptive basketball athlete, played his first tournament in Kingston a few years ago, but he’s looking forward to stepping foot onto the court at Carleton University’s Raven’s Nest next week.
“I’m pretty excited . . . because it’s a lot of fun and I meet a lot of people,” MacLaren says.
The co-ed, all-ages tournament will host teams that Ottawa has never played before, so it’s a great opportunity for athletes to make new friends and get some exercise.
Although the tournament has capacity for 12 competitive and eight adaptive teams, there are only six teams participating this year: three competitive teams from Ottawa, Kanata and Richmond and three adaptive teams from Ottawa, Kanata and Renfrew.
Organizers were hoping to see more Eastern Ontario teams register, but they realize that numbers are usually lower in an event’s first year, says Traynor.
The tournament is receiving great support from the Ottawa community, with enough donations that OSO doesn’t have to do any extra fundraising.
The opening ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m. followed by a warm-up with fitness trainer Wendall Hughes.
Afterwards, competitive games and adaptive skills and drills competitions will begin at the Raven’s Nest, which was made available at no cost by Carleton University. DiRienzo’s Grocery will provide sandwiches for lunch and Thyme and Again Catering will serve dessert.
No basketball event would be complete without a half-time show, so volunteers from Greco Martial Arts and Fitness will treat athletes and fans to a martial arts demonstration.
After more basketball, the tournament will conclude at around 3 p.m. with the closing ceremonies.
Tournament winners will receive awards, but all participants get a ribbon .
No one loses in this type of tournament because all of the athletes come out and try their hardest, says Traynor.
Paradis agrees.
“The Special Olympics motto is winning at life and it’s the true meaning of sportsmanship,” he says. “If anyone wants to see what sportsmanship is really about, come out to the tournament. It’s the perfect example.”