Going for Gold! Lord’s Taverners’ National Junior Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

North West Under 15 and Under 19 Gold Medal Winning Teams

  

25th to 27th July 2014 has been an amazing weekend for Junior League Wheelchair Basketball.

Stoke Manderville Stadium in Aylesbury hosted the Lord’s Taverners’ Junior Championships, in the usual superb style.

There are photos of the event on our Facebook page, website and hopefully you’ll be able to read about us in the local press. Because of all this, I want to present some different views. Before I do, though, I want to thank everyone who was involved in the event. All the players, coaches, team managers, referees, table officials, caterers, dorm supervisors, parents, carers and everyone else involved, should be very proud to be a part of this event. I’d love to list everyone here, but it wouldn’t make for a very interesting read…. Sorry!
So, this year, 10 regions entered teams to the Under 15 year olds tournament, and 12 regions entered the Under 19s.

Can you imagine a larger gathering of kids with disabilities?

Stoke Manderville Stadium, with it’s Paralympic history, is the obvious choice of accessible venue for this. Throughout the weekend, the edges of the two courts became a dumping ground of daytime wheelchairs, kit bags, orthotic devices and discarded prosthetic limbs.   One of the most difficult things for kids to deal with is the issue of body confidence. Obviously, given the regularity of media articles on this subject, it is pertinent to all ages, but adolescents have the hardest time. The prevalence of eating disorders is a serious worry for all parents and so feeling your teenager has some degree of body confidence has to be reassuring.   I’ve spent time in schools. Teenage girls wear more make-up than film stars. They spend ages straightening their hair, getting spray tans, acrylic fingernails, false eyelashes, ‘Sharpie-marker’ eyebrows and tottering around on platform heels in a cloud of perfume; boys sprouting beards , dealing with acne and trying to handle hair-gel. And despite all this, these kids are still insecure.

Any sporting tournament is a big event, all the participants give time and energy to prepare and to participate. All the children proudly representing their regions worked exceptionally hard to get into their teams. For children with disabilities, particularly if these are physical and obvious, life can be full of added challenge. People who should know better will stare, and for already self-conscious teens, this is wearing. It is equally irksome and particularly irritating for the parents of these teens too. A friend of mine once told me of someone, – a stranger- berating her for scolding her son, who was misbehaving, as young kids tend to do. This stranger felt that my friend shouldn’t be reprimanding her child because he uses a powered wheelchair, and therefore, in the eyes of this outsider, could not possibly be misbehaving. Reality check…. having a medical problem, a body which looks different, doesn’t work the same way as others, or has parts missing, does not mean an inability for mischief. For any other parent, not correcting an erring child would be considered neglectful. You wouldn’t allow your toddler to climb the furniture or on the windowsills, so why is it okay if your toddler has shortened, deformed limbs? Inclusion for disabled people should cover all aspects of life. Parents of disabled children ignore the pitying looks, smile saccharin-sweetly at the words of encouragement, and the ‘I don’t know how you cope…’ because it doesn’t help.  There is no easy way to explain. You cope because you cope! It’s not like there’s a choice.   Attending an event like the Lord’s Taverners’ Junior Championships puts parents together. There’s no need to discuss diagnoses, nobody is going to want details of your child’s condition, or ask how you cope. No-one is going to look askance at you if you tell your one-legged teenager not to hop down the staircase. We all know that you can’t tell teens what to do anyway, and for all the kids facing life with differences, we know they are finding their own ways to do things.
When you have a baby, you want for them to sit up, to crawl, to walk. Developmental milestones are ticked off by the medical professionals. But if your baby skips one, doesn’t crawl, or is a bum-shuffler, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. If your child gets around on their hands, swinging a leg-less torso between them, how can that be wrong? They’re still independently moving! And all this is why disability sports tournaments and clubs are so important. In a sports hall of teenagers, I’ve never seen so much effortless body confidence. Prosthetic limbs were shown off in shorts or discarded when their owners took to sports-wheelchairs. The problem of excess trouser-leg fabric was solved by simply tying a large knot, or tucking them under. A high-five at a basket scored could be a left-handed affair if one of the participants has a hand deficiency, or reduced arm control. There was even a very well-behaved assistance dog in attendance, although he wasn’t allowed on court!

In the 33 degree heat of the hottest weekend in a long time, all these kids gave their all to the game they all obviously loved. Many went home disappointed at not winning. All of them went home with certificates for participating and the admiration of everyone there, and quite a few probably went home sporting new bruises due to contact with the floor following sporting altercations, and enthusiastic game play.   I hope all the players also went home more content with who they are.
Disability sports groups are nurturing families. All parents are proud of their kids, and none more-so than parents of potential future sporting heroes.
Despite the success of the Paralympic Games, disability sports still lack publicity and media coverage. I say if you want to see radiating joy, and achievement in bucket-loads, no matter where you are in the world, you’ll search out groups like ours. Being proud of who you are and what you can achieve is the biggest boost to body confidence you can ever get, so support your local clubs, because for the North West Regional Under 15 and Under 19 teams, winning the Gold, and achieving happiness, is infectious!

Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club is proud to be associated with members of the Gold Winning Teams.

Here’s the Role of Honor!

North West U19 Team

Head Coach: Josie Cichockyj
Assistant Coach: Nick Howard
Team Manager: Colin Pattinson

Pat Deacon (Manchester Mavericks)

Holly McGrady (Carlisle Panthers)

Nathan Maguire (Carlisle Panthers)

Adam McGrath (Vikings)

Nat Pattinson (Carlisle Panthers)

Ben Taylor (Carlisle Panthers)

Gregg Warburton (Oldham Owls)

Lucas Warburton (Wigan Warthogs)

Samantha Wilson (Carlisle Panthers)

Jenny Wilson (Manchester Mavericks)

 

North West U15 Team

Head Coach: Paula Johnson
Assistant Coach: Julian Mattinson
Team Manager: Emma Tomkinson

Finley Tonner (Manchester Mavericks)

Callum Doherty (Vikings)

Jack Tate (Vikings)

Lewis Craddock (Vikings)

Tyler Baines (Carlisle Panthers)

Lauryn Beattie (Carlisle Panthers)

Louis Telford (Wigan Warthogs)

Callum Fairweather (Vikings)

Ethan Pattinson (Carlisle Panthers)

Joel Pattinson (Carlisle Panthers)

Not forgetting, Carlisle Panthers players Dylan Cummings and Carrie Cannon who represented Scotland.

All the players names can be found using the following links.

Under 15s

Under 19s

Pride and Joy.

Yesterday, Panthers 1 and Panthers 2 took on Leeds Spiders 1 and 2 in our home games.
Thanks to Team Manager Colin for these match reports.

Following on from last weekend, Panthers 1 were 1st on court today playing the Leeds Spiders at home.
 In a very close 1st half, first quarter saw Spiders up by only 1, and after 2nd quarter Panthers had brought that back to finish the half level points.   Spiders came out strong 3rd quarter and took an 8 point lead.
Not out yet though, Panthers had a strong final quarter to bring back the points but unfortunately by not quite enough.
Final score 45-49 to Spiders. Great game and well done Spiders.
 Nice to watch our newer players stepping up when needed and playing well together. Well done team and Coach Stewart Pimblett. Well proud.

Panthers 2 took on Spiders 2 in today’s 2nd game. Some players with tired arms from the first of today’s games, and some brand new players to the bench still didn’t stop some good basketball being played.
1st and 2nd quarters both went in Spiders favour, going into the half time break with a 12 point lead.
Panthers 2 came out fighting after the break and they pulled back half of the Spiders lead, finishing the 3rd only 6 points behind.   In a hard last quarter, both teams giving 100%, Spiders had the better of the scoring though and finished the game taking the win. Final score 23-35 to Spiders.
Heads up team, with more hard work in training, and a bit more experience under the new players belts and the wins will come.

We are very proud of all our Panthers, and there’s always a lot of joy on game days.

Pride is a difficult concept.  It can be seen as something both positive and negative.  In the negative sense, it refers to an inflated sense of status or accomplishment.  The philosopher Aristotle considered pride a profound virtue, whereas some religions consider it a sin, indeed, one of the seven deadly sins in Christianity.

The Oxford English Dictionary states that ‘proud’ is derived from the old French word ‘prud’, meaning brave and valiant.  Pride in one’s appearance is considered virtuous, as is a high opinion of national identity, ethnicity or sexuality. In all these cases the sense of pride is celebrated.

All this calls upon human nature’s requirement for acceptance and unity, and being proud of a group effort is an easy way to do this.

Pride in itself can bring acceptance.  Anyone who is proud to be different, who speaks out, stands out from the crowd will appear confident and in control.  In our too-full world, it’s a way to be noticed.  The best example I’ve seen of the power of pride and joy was at a small musical event held in a little village on Friday gone.  Local band John and Wayne play their own brand of ballads, set to live guitar music.  John’s son, Danny, joined the set on guitar, and the pride and joy on the face of a father watching his son lit up the room.    Check out http://www.johnandwayne.com.

My advice, then, is for everyone to find something to be proud of.

Be proud to be Panthers, from the youngest to the oldest, because we’re all very, very proud of you.

Good Efforts and Great Gifts.

Last weekend, (30th November) both Panthers 1 and 2 were away to Leeds Spiders. In a to and fro game, the final score was Spiders-2 34 to Panthers-2 21. Panthers-1 met Spiders-1 in the second match of the day. In another nail-biting basket for basket game the Panthers-1 took the win with 51 to Spiders-1 40.  The re-matches are this coming weekend, 7th December at Carlisle.

The score-lines reflect the talent and commitment of all the players, not just our own. Commitment is difficult to quantify. It can be considered a long or short-term prospect, with the success of the particular project yielding a measure of the commitment input.

My commitment to you is to try to keep you up to date with the goings on from out little club, and to try to entertain you a bit. We’re going from strength to strength with the commitment of everyone involved, and my goal is to share the joy with all of you. If you like what you read, please feel free to share, comment, make suggestions….

Here’s a story, the origin of which is unknown, but which clearly illustrates how commitment to others can change someone’s day.

“Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, ‘Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.’

Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.
‘Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present .’”

My gift to you folks, just a little early for Santa’s delivery!

The Nature of the Game…

A little late, but better late than never…..

On 21/10/13, Carlisle Panthers 1 and 2 took on Manchester Mavericks at home.  Heavy scoring from Darren Kiddell and the rest of the first team showed the depth of experience and ended in a 62 – 53 win.  The entire match was hard fought, with one of the Mavericks star players, Nathan Maguire taking a couple of heavy tumbles.
Panthers 2 came out fighting against Mavericks 2, but the newness of the team structure showed their inexperience and after a close game, Panthers 2 suffered a 22 – 25 defeat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101513370@N08/10714533646/

Teamwork is, obviously the name of the game here, as it is for a great many sports.  Disability sports should, by definition, be inclusive sport.  Differing disabilities have effects on the dynamics, but as the team gains experience playing together, each member is better able to compensate for the differing abilities of their team mates.

No matter your limitations, we belive nurture can bring out your best.  We have talented players, but no ‘stars of the show’ – our teams are made up of enthusiasm and different skills.  whether you put the ball through the hoop, or you excel in defence, we all work together and support each other to enjoy our game.

We’re putting Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club on the map, we’re all ambassadors for our club and we can all make it grow.

Let’s pull together, make it count, and we can bring in the wins!

Game, Set and Match…

Panthers 1 met Oldham Owls away on 13th October.

It was a hard fought match and with the team still reeling from our man down from the previous match, the Owls took the triumph with a 66 – 45 win.
Both our division 1 and division 3 teams were in action at home on 19th October.

As a mark of respect, team manager Colin led a minute of applause for the late Paula Longrigg, who wouldn’t have wanted a minutes silence.
Panthers 1 took on St Helens Vikings 1, who proved to be a strong team. Injured Panther Paul returned for the top off, with a heavily bandaged hand, and the team pulled together, but had to admit defeat with the final score of Vikings 59 – Panthers 44.
Panthers 2 took on St Helens Vikings 2 in another spirited match. The atmosphere was charged, as both teams had a good turn out of supported. Mel and her budding team of cheerleaders shouted themselves hoarse with encouragement, but the home team once again bowed down to the Vikings with a final score of Vikings 40 – Panthers 31.
The Vikings experienced teams played well and won the day, but the Panthers had a couple of good matches and will come back fighting!

Meet the players #7

Guest Blog by Darren Kiddell, another of our star players…. Thanks Darren!

Darren Kiddell, age 26, basketball number #23.
Double amputee (below the knee), was born with mutations of lower limbs, so mum decided to amputate as having the next evolutionary step in human advancement thrust into the public eye would have threatened the ‘un-evolved’ (think X-Men).

Never really had anyone I aspired to be like, as I believe myself to be a unique individual, and trying to be like someone else would just be hiding who I am. I have had two main role models in my life though, and I owe most of who I am to those two. The first being my mum. She helped make me the strong, independent person I am today. She never wrapped me up in cotton wool, or told me I couldn’t do something. If anything she encouraged me to live a ‘Normal’ life, and to get out there and try everything, at least once. I remember one time all my friends were going tree climbing, so I went and asked my mum if I was allowed. She said to me, “of course you are, but if you break a leg, don’t come running crying back to me”…thinking about it now, there are so many things wrong with that…how could I run if I broke a leg?? And how the hell would I manage to break a titanium leg??

The second would be my basketball coach and long time family friend, Stewart. I first met him when I was around 11 years old and that was when He introduced me to the sport of wheelchair basketball. I was only young at the time though and didn’t take it seriously, it was more of a past time to me than a sport. (Oh how I wish I had taken it seriously though…hindsight is a wonderful thing…not in this case, it just makes me realise one of my very few regrets).
As a friend, Stu has been there and supported me through some of the toughest times of my life, especially when my mum passed away in 2007. I can honestly say, without him, I would have been a complete mess. Growing up without a dad, Stu has been the closest thing to a father figure I’ve had and for that I’m eternally grateful!
As a basketball coach, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. He is one of the most supportive, approachable coaches I’ve met and everything I am as a player is down to the time he has invested in my ability. Don’t get me wrong though, as much as he has supported and built me up, he also knows when it’s time to knock me down a notch, and remind me that I still have a lot to learn. But then, that’s what makes a good coach, right?

So I’ve played basketball on and off for about 7 years, but it’s only the last 4 years I’ve started to take it as seriously as I wish I had from the start. I started playing for Newcastle Eagles half way through the 2009/2010 season, making appearances for both their first team in Division 1, and their second team in D3. In the 2010/2011 season I was a predominant player for the second team, helping them win division 3 north, and then going to the play offs and winning the national D3 championship. I was top scorer for the team and was voted most valuable player. I played more of a support role for the first team coming off the bench most games and starting a few. I think we finished 5th. By the time the 2011/2012 season came around I had worked my way up through the team and was one of the named 7 in the first team playing in D1. We finished 3rd that season, with me again as top scorer for the team and being named most valuable player.
The 2012/2013 season saw me move to a different team, Carlisle Panthers! When I joined, the team had just won the D3 north and national championship, so we began our journey in D2. We had an amazing season winning all but one of our games in the league, and then going to the play offs and winning all our games there, getting crowned division 2 north and national champions! I was top scorer for the team (MVP announced on Tuesday…fingers crossed!).
I’m really looking forward to playing back in D1 with a team I know can do well…only time will tell

First Tip off of the Season.. Panthers 2 v Bolton

Thanks to Coach Paula for this match report guest blog.

 Panthers 2 v Bolton

Panthers 2 are the first of the Panthers teams to start their new season with and away fixture at Bolton.
After our chauffeur for the day, Mr McGrady picked every one up (and got his pasty, care of coach Paula !!) we arrived in plenty of time to be able to settle and work out any first game nerves. This years team is a new look team with the loss of three players to the first team , but some new and up coming players added to last years team . The starting five were Lauryn, Jonny, Darren G, Sam A and Ness .
With a smooth and great warm up in hand the first five went out and the game begun.  It was end to end in the first quarter, with the teams drawing level at 6-6 . The one thing that shocked me the most was not the score, but the team had found their voices and were communicating in true loud panther’s style.
A few players in and out in the second quarter and the team continued to keep up the pace and with Bolton and out scored the Bulls 7-3 making the half time score 9-13 to us!!!
A quick team talk and shoot about and back out we went. The third quarter was won by Bulls 14-2 with our only basket coming from Ness. The third quarter drew to an end at 23-15 . Maybe it was the lack of communication or the fact that the Bulls realised they had a fight on their hands.
Out in the fourth and once again, with true Panthers style we fought hard and some fab basketball was played, baskets from Lauryn, EJ , Darren and Jonny  adding to the score. The grit and fight pulled the score in the fourth to 11-10 to Bulls. This making the final score 34-25 to the bulls but what a game.  In the words of our chauffeur “THE SCORE DID NOT REFLECT THE PLAY” and he was so right.
We left the game smiling and with, I think, a little more faith in ourselves as a unit. I, for one, was a happy coach.
Well done to all the team, EJ, Sam A, Lauryn, Ness, Jonny, Jeff, Sam W and Faye you did yourselves proud.

Onwards and upwards

LET’S GO PANTHERS

Coach Paula