Panther Prints | Issue 2 | December 2019

12 • Sports PESHPRINTS.COM
Uptown
dunk
Panther Pride Special
Olympics basketball
team builds community
among players
by Elena Hamlin
ive players dribble the ball down the
Fcourt, peers and parents cheering
as the ball swishes through the net.
For many of the 17 students who make
up the Panther Pride Special Olympics
basketball team, this is their time to
feel like Panthers.
The Panther Pride has allowed students
in the special education program
to be a part of a school sports team
for 10 years. Special education teacher
Anthony Ruttenburg has coached the
team for six.
“[The team] means everything [to
me],” Ruttenburg said. “Just seeing
their smiles and giving special needs
kids an opportunity to do things that
other students do [means everything].”
Although Panther Pride is an official
school sports team, Ruttenburg allows
graduates now attending the Charmaine
Solomon Adult Transition Center
to return and play for the team, making
up six of the 17 players.
“[My son] actually graduated from
Plano East last year, and Coach Ruttenberg
is allowing [him] to come back
and play,” Mira Lee, mother of player
James Lee, said. “It’s nice that Coach
Ruttenberg lets the kids do that.”
Parents of the players feel that
they’ve seen their children’s confidence
and communication skills benefit
from their involvement with team.
“[My son’s involvement] means a lot,
definitely because he is socializing,”
Arif Rahman, father of player Adam
Rahman, said. “He’s playing. He’s totally
involved in these activities, and he
really enjoys coming over here — he
loves it, in fact.”
Similar to the community formed
among the players, parents think the
team also establishes a community for
them. Sitting with each other at games,
talking about their kids and the team
and sharing photos has established a
connection between many parents, according
to Farrell.
“It’s a lonely thing to have a child
with special needs because you can’t
always talk to other parents about
what’s going on: homework, college
essays [and] college apps,” Farrell said.
“There isn’t that. So it’s nice to have a
community here that I can talk to.”
In its offseason, the team takes on
student organizations such as senate,
PALS and other sports teams such as
wrestling and baseball. During competition
season, which occurs in February
and May, the team faces off against
other special olympics teams around
the area and attends the Special Olympics
of Texas State Championships.
While on the road, Ruttenburg makes
use of fundraising money leftover from
buying equipment and uniforms to pay
for travel expenses.
“They love [traveling] because I
[give them] five-star [treatment],” Ruttenburg
said. “I put them in the best
Junior Eryn Aquino practices with her teammates
at the school’s tennis courts Aug. 16.
Photo by Emily Ojeda
Photo by Abby Santos
Player Jesus Contreras who has graduated and now attends the Charmaine Solomon Adult Transition
Center shoots a basket on Nov. 21 at the Panther Pride’s game against the Boy’s Basketball team.
hotels; we go out to eat. Last year we
took them to Six Flags before the tournament.
We just make a big event of
the whole week.”
The Panther Pride will have their
next game on Jan. 8 in the gym.
“I just think it’s it’s great to have her
included in something,” Farrell said.
“There are so many times our kids are
overlooked, thinking that they don’t
understand, but they do and they know
when they’re not included. And so being
a part of a team is good for that,
too.”