Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012

Basketball player has flaming wheels, wins award

Elizabeth Decker is fast.

Flying across a basketball court, she is the speediest player on her Junior Thunder team.

A sixth-grader at Heritage Middle School in Wake Forest, Elizabeth is preparing to start her second year of track, and so far the mile race is her favorite event.

It is safe to say she does not let any grass grow under her wheels.

Elizabeth, 12, is a wheelchair athlete, one of a growing group of kids and adults who have taken up adaptive sports.

David and Michelle Becker were living in Houston when they learned their unborn daughter had spina bifida, a condition that begins during an embryo’s early development, when two sides of the spine fail to join together, leaving an open area. Surgery after birth will close the gap, but babies with spina bifida are left with disabilities.

“We have always known Elizabeth would not be able to walk,” Michelle, her mom, said. “She has always used a wheelchair.”

As years passed, Elizabeth’s parents have helped turn a disability into capability, and the young athlete has learned to make the most of her chair.

On Jan. 24, Elizabeth received a Spotlight on Students award from the Wake County Board of Education.

The annual Spotlight awards go to 42 students, one from each school in Wake County, for their classroom achievements and contributions to their communities.

Heritage Middle School assistant principal Randy Weddle nominated Elizabeth.

“Elizabeth is a tremendous role model for all of us. She is so acclimated to her environment and her surroundings, that her peers don’t see her with a disability at all,” he said. “She is a fabulous student and citizen, and a great friend to other kids.”

Elizabeth is a two-time spotlight winner. She was recognized two years ago as a fourth-grader at Jones Dairy Elementary School.

“Of course we are proud of her,” said her dad, David Decker. “She is a special girl and an encouragement for us.”

On a recent Friday night at the Method Road Community Center in Raleigh, Elizabeth and a dozen other kids in sports wheelchairs raced up and down a basketball court practicing drills and working on strength, endurance and agility.

They lined up, and as a coach rolled a basketball across the gym floor, each athlete took turns running it down, bringing their chairs to a screeching halt as they leaned over to scoop the basketball into their laps and rolled back to the starting line.

Basketball is Elizabeth’s favorite sport, and her face lights up when she talks about it.

She started playing two years ago, after her family moved to Wake Forest from Plano, Texas, and discovered the Junior Thunder, the youth counterpart to the Triangle Thunder, an adaptive basketball team for adults.

The Deckers were not aware of programs like Bridge II Sports in Texas, and Elizabeth did not participate in many activities.

“I was in the Girl Scouts,” she said. “I didn’t do much though; a little bit of adaptive dance. I listened to music, sang a little bit and participated in talent shows.”

What a difference basketball has made.

“Sports changed Elizabeth’s life,” Michelle said. “She has developed courage and endurance, which helps her keep up with her able-bodied friends.”

Elizabeth smiles broadly when she talks about the new friends she has made since moving to North Carolina.

“They think it is cool that I play basketball,” she said.

Elizabeth’s upper body strength is noticeable when she bends her elbows, flexing her biceps.

“Yes, she has some guns,” David, her dad, said.

She credits time spent on the track at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the extra conditioning that has helped her excel on the basketball court.

A March Madness-style tournament March 10-11 in Atlanta will close out the basketball season. Track will start in April, and Elizabeth is ready.

But on awards night, she was a star, shining in the spotlight.

Her family celebrated by going for ice cream.

Elizabeth knows how to set priorities.

Notebook

RunRaleigh Half Marathon debuts April 15: A new race is premiering on the streets and greenways of Southwest Raleigh April 15. The RunRaleigh Half Marathon will start and finish at Cameron Village and extend to the Walnut Creek Greenway. The race also features a 5k.

Proceeds will benefit the SPCA of Wake County, the Raleigh Police Memorial Foundation and SWOOP. To register or get additional details, visit www.runraleighhalf.com.

Youth baseball umpires needed: Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department is looking for individuals interested in officiating youth baseball. League play will start in early April and run through mid-June. Clinics are held at 6:30 pm Tuesdays at Jaycee Module, 2401 Wade Ave., Raleigh. For more information, call 919-831-6836.

Undefeated Triangle Tarheels win tournament: The Triangle Tarheels fifth and sixth grade girls AAU basketball teams were undefeated in their last season, and they won the NRV Elite New Year’s Super-Jam Basketball Tournament in Christiansburg, Va., Jan. 21-22, according to Ahmad Smalls, the teams’ coach.

The Triangle Tarheels sixth-graders beat the Patrick County (Va.) Prowl 48-12 and the Carroll County (Va.) Elite 62-19 to advance to the semi-finals, where they defeated Carroll County Elite again, 60-18. The Tarheels went on to defeat the West Virginia Express 56-43 for the tournament championship.

The Triangle Tarheels fifth-graders crushed the Patrick County Prowl 59-4 and defeated the Carroll County Elite 39-10 in the early round matchups. They went on to defeat the NRV Elite 43-7 in the semi-finals and dominated the West Virginia Express 40-19 for the championship.

Caroline Margolis honored: Caroline Margolis, a Ravenscroft senior lacrosse player, was named the Raleigh Sports Club Student-Athlete of the Week on Jan. 25. A center midfielder who has committed to play lacrosse at Boston College, Margolis was an NCISAA All-State selection in 2010 and 2011 and a TISAC All-Conference pick in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Margolis was also named All-Conference in field hockey in 2009, 2010 and 2011.