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Archive for BORP Jr. Road Warriors

BORP Youth Sports Update: April 2019

By Trooper Johnson on April 9, 2019 No Comments

Wheelchair Basketball

The Jr. Road Warriors finished the 2018-2019 NWBA season at the National Invitational Tournament in Chicago, IL. The team wound up with an 8-8 record for the year and are still developing. We have no graduating seniors this year, so we expect almost the entire team to return (Theo Batty is moving to Texas). 

Collage of pictures of the 2018-19 BORP Jr. Road Warriors

We have a good group of kids with a few that have been together for several years and they are starting to develop great chemistry.

Three photos: Ella Rodriguez, Garnett Silver-Hall, and Ben Thornton

Ella Rodriguez, Garnett Silver-Hall, and Ben Thornton have taken most of the responsibilities for carrying the team this year, but they have some help on the horizon. Braulio Noriega and Zach Nazareno are two of the youngest members of the team and are developing into a couple of beasts. Braulio has incredibly fast hands and although he isn’t that big he has blocked shots in almost every game. 

Zach is a gnat on the court. He is the smallest member of the team and, because of his speed and tenacity, he is generally responsible for defending the other team’s biggest players and keeping them from moving on the court. 

He is only twelve and was the only member of the team to play every minute of every game at the National Tournament, showing how much we value and trust him on the court.

We are also expecting great things from Kumar Polk, Arianna Lohrer, Sage Burtis, and Avery Dauer.

Kumar, Arianna, and Sage played their first season this year and exceeded all expectations. Arianna and Sage are playing wheelchair sports for the first time and have changed from shy timid kids into fierce competitors and two kids that are constantly having a blast off the court with the team. Kumar played basketball before becoming paralyzed and brings a natural court awareness to the team.

Avery has been playing for years and continues to get better each year. This year he grew about a foot and has turned into a rebounding and defensive force. 

As always, we expect to get a few new kids in the gym this year and will probably have one or two more kids to talk about soon when they join the team.

Prep Basketball

The Prep team (5-12 years old) continues to grow. This program feeds the varsity team and introduces kids to movement, structure, and teamwork on the court. For many of these kids, Prep basketball is the first time they’ve see another kid in a chair and they quickly gain the understanding that they are not alone.

Gabriella, Riley, Emanuel, Joseph, Kevin, Devan, and Joshua are names you will be hearing a lot more as they continue to develop within the program. These kids are the future and they work, play, and laugh incredibly hard each week on the court.

Sled Hockey

The Sharks Sled Hockey Team returned from Tampa as the Youth Sled Division II National Tournament Runner-Up. 

The team was bumped up a division from the division they competed in the previous two years and the competition was fantastic.

The team played against teams from Colorado Springs, New York, Nashville, and Pittsburgh during the competition and advanced to the Championship game for the 3rd consecutive year.

An injury to Garnett Silver-Hall, our fastest skater, in the Championship Game forced the team to finish almost half the game with only four skaters. The four remaining skaters played their hearts out but simply could not break through the tough Pittsburgh defense.

Ben Thornton, Braulio Noriega, and Thomas Giovanola were forced to cover more ice than normal and take on more responsibility than they ever had in the past and they did amazing. Until the injury, Garnett continued to play well and cover a lot of the ice on both ends. He supported the defensive end and created on offense, using his speed. This year the team was led by twelve year old Zach Nazareno. 


Zach Nazareno

Zach brings the presence of a swatted bee to the ice. He was everywhere! He is the smallest player on the ice and when he locks onto a player, he makes things miserable for them. Because he is a double-leg amputee he can turn and move in small spaces incredibly fast and has developed into a great puck handler. 

Our only graduating senior this year is Marcellus Garcia. Marcellus played basketball and hockey at the start of the season and then decided to focus on hockey. Marcellus became the goalie after Eyan Gilder graduated last year and played amazing this year. 

He started the season 4-0 and continued to 6-0 after the first two games in Tampa. He made saves in every way imaginable, including blocking a couple of shots with his face. He had a great couple of years with the team and will be sticking around to practice with the team. That leads us directly to this:

That leads us directly to this:

HELP WANTED – Sled Hockey Goalie: Must be a high school Junior or below (to be eligible next year) with a permanent physical disability. Must have fast reflexes and tenacity, and be crazy enough to want to stop a frozen rubber puck at all cost. 

Off the Court/Ice

It was an incredible year off the ice this season. We had five new kids play and travel with the teams. Some of these kids have had their disabilities their entire lives and some of these kids have acquired disabilities (trauma, cancer, etc.) but BORP brought them together. 

They come from a variety of backgrounds and have banded together to become part of a bigger community that most of them did not know existed before finding BORP.

Now, instead of being overwhelmed with some of the day-to-day issues they face related to their disabilities, you hear them laughing about them in the gym. They embrace their collective differences and have found strength and unity in their team.

There are so many kids in the greater Bay Area who have physical disabilities. As a parent, the simple question is this: If you have a kid with a physical disability, wouldn’t you want your kid to have an opportunity to play, to work towards a goal, to make new friends and be treated like family by a group of kids within their same age range who are facing similar issues? That is what the BORP Youth Sports Program offers. We just do it in custom sports wheelchairs or hockey sleds. We have kids that have an amputation, slight spina bifida, mild CP, and other mobility impairing disabilities that do not require a kid to use a wheelchair on a regular basis. These kids only use a wheelchair when they play sports. These are the kids that generally excel in the sports programs and just like the rest of the kids, have a blast doing it. 

Categories : Uncategorized
Tags : BORP Jr. Road Warriors, BORP youth sports, Jr. Road Warriors, Prep Basketball, Sharks Sled Hockey, Sled Hockey, wheelchair basketball

16th BORP Hoops Classic Recap

By Jonathan Newman on April 8, 2019 No Comments
BORP All Stars and Junior Road Warriors
16th BORP Hoops Classic, March 24, 2019, Coast Guard Island, Alameda, Ca
Photos Copyright Scot Goodman/BORP.

The 16th BORP Hoops Classic was its usual full schedule of hooping heaven enhanced by the start to finish play-by-play of Steve Harwood and Bill Brobeck.

BORP All Stars went 4-2 and played with energy and commitment throughout the weekend. Standout offensive performances were turned in by Kenny Johnson, Sam Craven, Steve Lau and Troy Plunkett with the whole team contributing to the stingy defense. Coach Lai is to be commended for effectively juggling our huge roster, maintaining his positive leadership and relentlessly picking/screening to get our shooters good looks!

THANKS: In addition to the wonderful work of the announcers, we were supported by a stellar cast of volunteers and the generous hospitality of the Coast Guard. The excellent refereeing of Mario, Myles and Li keeps the games and schedule moving and their commitment to this event is greatly appreciated.

All Stars Individual scoring totals:
Craven: 49
Harrison: 9
Johnson: 57
Lau: 37
Marks: 10
Osorio: 2
Plunkett: 24
Hassan: 2
Rodriguez: 7

Thanks to Scot Goodman for the photo above of the BORP All Stars, the BORP Junior Road Warriors and announcers Steve and Bill.

Categories : Uncategorized
Tags : BORP All Stars, BORP basketball, BORP Jr. Road Warriors, wheelchair basketball

Top Ten Highlights from BORP Adult Sports in 2017

By Jonathan Newman on January 19, 2018 No Comments

Here are the top ten moments from BORP’s Adult Sports Program in 2017:

1.  2017 BORP Poker Slam raises nearly $7,000 for BORP Power Soccer

Playing Poker at the 2017 BORP Poker Slam

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

 

BORP Poker Fundraiser, Saturday Feb 24, Ed Roberts Campus, 5-11pm

BORP Poker Fundraiser, Saturday, Feb 24, Ed Roberts Campus, 5-11pm

Click here to register to play in this year’s BORP Poker Fundraiser!


 

2.  BORP hosted our annual adult tournament on Coast Guard Island for the first time. The 14th BORP Hoops Classic was held on March 11-12, 2017 with 7 adult teams plus BORP Junior Road Warriors competing.

Group picture of the BORP All Stars and the BORP Jr. Road Warriors

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

BORP All Starts player prepared to take shot

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Player attempts to block a pass, wheelchair basketball

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Click here to view more photos from Scot Goodman


3.  CAL Goalball team wins gold at the Portland tournament!

Cal Goalball Player throws the ball at the BORP Goalball Invitational

Courtesy of Scot Goodman


4.  BORP Shockers and Crushers Power Soccer teams went to Indianapolis for Nationals on June 16-18. Crushers took 1st and Shockers took 5th in the Presidents Conference (D3). Crushers will move up to Champions Conference (D2) next season.

BORP Crushers group photo after winning 1st place in their division

BORP Crushers


5.  World Cup July 3-10: USA came in 2nd!

USA Power Soccer at the World cup

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Click here for more photos from Scot Goodman


6.  CAL Goalball welcomed students and staff from Cal School for the Blind on October 30, 2017.

CAL Goalball welcomed students and staff from Cal School for the Blind

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Goalball player defends the goal

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Click here to view more photos from Scot Goodman


7.  BORP All Stars supported and participated in Wheelchair Basketball Awareness Games at Laney College on October 28, 2017

Road Warriors and Sacramento Kings

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Road Warriors and Sacramento Kings

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Click here for more photos from Scot Goodman


8.  BORP athletes Bryanna Stubbert, Mandy Gargano and Joe Hamilton compete in Americas Championships in Sao Paolo, BRA. USA women take 3rd in their division and USA men take 2nd in theirs. First international competition for Mandy and Bryanna.

US Women's Goalball Team - Photo via USA Women's Goalball

US Women’s Goalball Team – Photo via USA Women’s Goalball


9.  BORP hosted a Power Soccer Tournament at James Kenney Recreation Center, November 11-12, 2017

BORP hosts Power Soccer Tournament, Nov 2017

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

BORP hosts Power Soccer Tournament, Nov 2017

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Click here for more photos from Scot Goodman


10.  BORP Goalball Invitational XXIII was held on December 9. CAL WINS!

Goalball players diving to defend their goal

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Cal Goalball players embrace, celebrating their win

Courtesy of Scot Goodman

Click here for more photos from Scot Goodman


Don’t miss these upcoming BORP Adult Sports events:

January 20-21: BORP Power Soccer will host games at James Kenney.

February 24: BORP Poker Fundraiser for Power Soccer at ERC.

May 19-20: BORP Power Soccer will host games at James Kenney.

June 2-3: BORP Power Soccer will host games at James Kenney.

Categories : Uncategorized
Tags : Adaptive Sports, borp, BORP All Stars, BORP basketball, BORP Hoops Classic, BORP Jr. Road Warriors, BORP Power Soccer, Chuck Gill, Disability, goalball, Golden State Road Warriors, Poker Slam, Power Soccer, wheelchair basketball

How to Raise Over $700 for Your Revolution Ride in a Day

By Betsy Dorsett on August 23, 2017 No Comments

You can win this hate: picture of black and blue baseball cap with BORP logo embroidered on frontWe’ve been happily giving away these nifty BORP hats every Tuesday to the Revolution rider who raises the most money that week, but recently something unexpected happened.

Annie Kaferle registered for the Revolution on Monday afternoon. And by the time we were calculating the winner of the week’s hat giveaway, she was squarely in the lead. When the contest officially ended at noon on Tuesday, Annie had raised over $700. In less than 24 hours.

 

Here’s Annie’s secret to raising over $700 in under 24 hours

“I sent an e-mail to my friends and family with the link in it – riffing on what BORP provided with a little personal blurb about why I chose to support BORP and then I also posted a similar link on Facebook for people to donate directly. I have to say, I think the more you facilitate donating (i.e. adding a hyperlink) the easier it is for people to donate – and quickly! I’m pretty lucky to have such generous friends and family that are willing to donate to a cause that I am interested in!”

Image of hand cyclist and standard cyclist riding in the Rev. Text over image reads "Why I Ride the REV ... because 84% of all BORP participants report an increased ability to lead an active lifestyle."

Click here to download images like this one to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Give it a try. (You, too, could win a hat and help support BORP at the same time!)

If you haven’t registered for the 15th Annual BORP Revolution Ride & Festival yet or haven’t started fundraising, don’t worry. There’s still time to meet and exceed the $400 minimum fundraising requirement.

Try personalizing the templates we provide, like Annie did, with your own reasons for supporting BORP and sending it to your friends, family, and coworkers. Be sure to include the link to your personal or team page.

You can also post something similar, including the link to your fundraising page and your reasons for getting involved with BORP and riding in the Revolution, to your Facebook page.

Give it a try! You may be surprised by how much your friends and family want to support you and care about the causes that you’re committed to! Plus, we’re giving a BORP hat to this week’s top TWO fundraisers, and you could win! (All donations made between Tuesday, August 22 and Tuesday, August 29 at noon will count toward the contest. Winners will be notified on Tuesday, August 29.)

More Fundraising Resources:

  • 2017 Revolution Fundraising Toolkit
  • BORP’s 2016 Annual Report
  • Sharable Revolution Images for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

 

SaveSave

Categories : Adaptive Cycling, adult-wheelchair-basketball, BORP Adult Sports, BORP Cycling, BORP Fitness, BORP General Interest, BORP Youth Sports, power-soccer, revolution
Tags : Adaptive cycling, Adaptive Sports, borp, BORP basketball, BORP Jr. Road Warriors, BORP Power Soccer, BORP Revolution, Cycling, Disability, goalball, handcycling, Jr. Road Warriors, Power Soccer, Rev, Revolution, wheelchair basketball

BORP Youth at the 2017 Angel City Games

By Trooper Johnson on June 28, 2017 No Comments

The 2017 Angel City Games were held June 22-25 in Los Angeles at the beautiful campus of UCLA. Several BORP athletes went down to compete in the event, which combined sport-specific clinics and competitions throughout the weekend. All sports are Paralympic sports and include opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities or visual impairments to participate.

The BORP youth post for a picture on the track at the 2017 Angel City Games

The BORP youth post for a picture on the track at the 2017 Angel City Games

The weekend kicked off with an Archery clinic on Drake Field with Paralympic Gold Medalist, Jeff Fabry providing instruction.

BORP youth athlete Garnett Silver-Hall practices his aim at the Angel City Games archery clinic

BORP youth athlete Garnett Silver-Hall practices his aim at the Angel City Games archery clinic

Additional clinics through the weekend included wheelchair basketball, tennis, swimming, track & field, and a fun zone.

As part of the event, there was a 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball tournament including teams of players from around the country. BORP entered a team which included me and any kids that were not in sports clinics at the time of the games. The kids played incredibly well and advanced to the semi-finals before being knocked out. What was so impressive was that the kids were playing against adult players and outplaying them.

The kids also played in a game against kids from southern CA in the annual Jr.’s game. The Jr. Road Warriors struggled early but got on track when Ella and Isaiah started running the pick & roll to perfection.

BORP's Jr. Road Warriors playing basketball at the 2017 Angel City Games

BORP’s Jr. Road Warriors playing basketball at the 2017 Angel City Games

There was a Celebrity Wheelchair Basketball Game with local celebrities playing in wheelchairs. It was the 3rd annual event and as always, it was a blast.

On the track, Ella, Zach, and Isaiah tore it up. Isaiah raced for a personal best in the 200M. Zach was 5th in the 60M, and 4th in the 100 and first in the shot put. He also competed in the long jump. Ella was the queen of the track. She was 1st in the 60M, 2nd in the 100M, 1st in the 200M, 1st in Discus, 1st in Shot Put, and set a National Record in Javelin. All that and her best sport is still basketball!

Ella, who owned track and field at the 2017 Angel City Games, poses with her many ribbons and medals

Ella, who was the queen of the track at the 2017 Angel City Games, poses with her many ribbons and medals

The kids had an absolute blast and I believe Eyan personally met every single person that attended.  He even got up on stage and led some of the workout activities.

This was absolutely the best Angel City Games so far.

Eyan at the Angel City Games

Eyan at the archery clinic on Drake Field with Paralympic Gold Medalist, Jeff Fabry at the Angel City Games

Ella aiming for the target during the archery clinic

Ella aiming for the target during the archery clinic

Isaiah racing on the track during the Angel City Games

Isaiah racing on the track during the Angel City Games

Ella racing on the track during the Angel City Games

Ella running on the track during the Angel City Games

Categories : BORP Fitness, BORP General Interest, BORP Youth Sports, fitness, junior-adventures, youth-wheelchair-basketball
Tags : Adaptive Sports, Angel City Games, borp, BORP basketball, BORP Jr. Road Warriors, Disability, Jr. Road Warriors, paralympics, wheelchair basketball

Jr. Road Warriors Win West Coast Conference Championship

By Betsy Dorsett on March 8, 2017 No Comments

CONTACT:
Trooper Johnson
Youth Sports Program Coordinator
BORP (Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program)
(510) 849-4663 x1305, (510) 407-0014 (c)
trooper@borp.org
NWBA High Performance Committee
Head Coach, USA Women’s National Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


March 8, 2017

Bay Area Youth Win West Coast Conference Championship

“This team has practiced and played hard all season and have come
together to show incredible teamwork and dedication.
They are ready and excited for Nationals.”
– Coach Trooper Johnson

BORP Jr Road Warriors, Western Conference Championship

BORP Jr. Road Warriors with their trophy after winning the West Coast Conference Championship in Denver, CO.

BORP Jr Road Warrior, Stephen, hugs the team's Western Conference Championship Trophy

One of my favorite photos from the trip. The new kid on the block. Stephen never knew there would be sports opportunities for him because of his disability and had no idea there were organizations like the Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) that provide these opportunities for kids like him. After his team, the Jr. Road Warriors won the West Coast Conference Championship Tournament in Denver this past weekend you could see how much it meant every time he grabbed the trophy. His face just lit up and he just kept hugging it. It was just one small step in the team’s journey, but a huge leap in his life.
-Coach Trooper Johnson

The Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program’s (BORP) varsity youth wheelchair basketball team—Jr. Road Warriors—has just clinched the West Coast Conference Championship.

The BORP Jr. Road Warriors came into the tournament as the #5 seed and soundly won all four of their games over the weekend, defeating Utah for the title. The tournament was held outside Denver, CO at the Gold Crowne Fieldhouse.

Next stop: NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) Nationals March 29th-April 2nd in Louisville, KY! The NWBA will announce national and tournament rankings soon; now that the regional titles are settled.

Just last month the BORP Jr. Road Warriors competed in a regional tournament held in San Diego at the Balboa Park Municipal Gymnasium, winning 5 of their 5 games. In all of their San Diego games the team scored 50+ points and defeated their opponents by 20+ points. (Click here to read more about this tournament.)

Players on the 2017 varsity BORP Jr. Road Warriors are in middle and high school, hailing from Berkeley, Bolinas, Gilroy, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Rosa and other Northern California cities.

Photographs available through the team’s photographer, Scott Goodman.

ABOUT
The Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) Youth Sports Program provides sports and recreation opportunities to students with physical disabilities. Sports programs provide high caliber, competitive opportunities on par with school team sports, including prep and varsity wheelchair basketball, ice sled hockey and power soccer. BORP is based in Berkeley, CA and serves youth from all over Northern California.

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Categories : BORP General Interest, BORP Youth Sports, youth-wheelchair-basketball
Tags : Adaptive Sports, borp, BORP basketball, BORP Jr. Road Warriors, Jr. Road Warriors, NWBA, wheelchair basketball

When Hard Work and Team Work Pay Off: BORP’s Jr. Road Warriors go 5-0 in San Diego

By Betsy Dorsett on February 13, 2017 No Comments

Jr Road Warriors travel to San Diego

The Jr. Road Warriors at the airport, on their way to San Diego. Image via Garnett Silver-Hall

This past weekend BORP’s varsity wheelchair basketball team, the Jr. Road Warriors, traveled to a tournament in San Diego. Before leaving town, Coach Trooper Johnson remarked that he anticipated the team would do well: “They’ve been playing really well. This should be a good tournament for them.”

Last weekend the team spent over 10 hours on the court, topped off with an evening of team bonding and an early morning push across the Bay Bridge. When one or two players got tired on the push, the whole team encouraged them, insisting that they finish the 9 mile journey as a team, taking turns to help push and pull each other to finish together. The team took all that hard work and team work with them to San Diego and played their hearts out.

On day one of the tournament, “each one of the kids had individual moments of brilliance,” Johnson reported back to the parents in an email that evening. They had started the day off with an incredible opening game against Phoenix and a final score of 50-17. That was followed with a 54-31 victory over the Rancho Renegades, the first meeting of the season for the teams and a continuation of their Nor Cal/So Cal rivalry. The team finished off the day with a 51-32 game against Portland.

Jr Road Warriors on the court in San Diego

The Jr. Road Warriors under the score board after their 51-32 win. Image courtesy of Trooper Johnson.

The Jr. Road Warriors continued their winning streak on day 2 with a crushing victory over Fresno (the final score was 56-14). At the final game of the tournament the Jr. Road Warriors were set to play against Denver, the team that had defeated them in the last game of their previous season. But “once again the team played incredible team ball and wound up posting a 52-31 victory,” Johnson wrote to the players’ parents after the tournament.

Jr Road Warriors with Coach Trooper Johnson

The Jr. Road Warriors huddle with Coach Trooper Johnson during a game in San Diego. Image courtesy of Garnett Silver-Hall

Not only did the Jr. Road Warriors win all five games, but in each game they scored over 50 points. “I don’t think I’ve seen a team so excited,” Coach Johnson said, “The team played incredibly well and got better each game.”

So, from all of us at BORP to the Jr. Road Warriors players and coaches: CONGRATULATIONS!

Jr. Road Warriors in San Diego

The Jr. Road Warriors celebrating their 5-0 winning streak in San Diego. Image courtesy of Garnett Silver-Hall

Categories : BORP General Interest, BORP Youth Sports, Uncategorized, youth-wheelchair-basketball
Tags : Adaptive Sports, borp, BORP basketball, BORP Jr. Road Warriors, Jr. Raod Warriors, Trooper Johnson, wheelchair basketball

Buy a Ticket to BORP Night at Oracle Arena with the Golden State Warriors!

By Betsy Dorsett on October 11, 2016 No Comments

Bring your family and friends out to Oracle Arena and cheer on the Golden State Warriors as they take on the Portland Trailblazers on Saturday, December 17! A portion of every ticket we sell will benefit BORP. A limited number of these specially priced tickets are available, so purchase yours today!

  • Support BORP’s youth wheelchair basketball players as they take the court on Warriors Ground before tip-off! If 100 tickets are purchased through this opportunity, the BORP Jr. Road Warriors will have a chance for an on-court experience at the coliseum prior to the game.
  • A portion of each ticket sold will benefit BORP
  • A limited number of tickets are available.
  • Driving to the arena? Pre-purchase your parking pass today and save!
  • For accessible seating, please contact: Nick Smith, Sr. Account Executive, Group Sales 510-986-2247

Ticket Price: $125*
Deadline for orders: Monday, October 31, 2016
Game Day: Saturday December 17, 2016 @ 7:30pm

Purchase tickets at: warriors.com/BORP
Password: BORP

Buy TicketsClick here to purchase tickets

This is an amazing opportunity to go watch the Golden State Warriors and support the BORP Jr. Road Warriors, the varsity wheelchair basketball team. The Golden State Warriors are the defending Western Conference Champions and returning after back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals. Last season the Warriors capped off a NBA record setting season, winning 73 games. Their off-season trade to acquire Kevin Durant has made the Warriors even stronger this year and a favorite to make another appearance in the NBA Finals. Come out and watch history in the making.

BORP offers the only competitive wheelchair basketball program in Northern California for kids with physical disabilities. The Jr. Road Warriors is the varsity wheelchair basketball team and competes against other teams of kids playing wheelchair basketball throughout the country in weekend tournament events. Kids with permanent lower-limb impairments (paralysis, amputation, cerebral palsey, spina, bifida, etc.) are eligible to compete in wheelchair basketball.

For more information, contact Trooper Johnson at 510-849-4663 (ext 1305) or trooper@borp.org.

*Rates can increase based on factors affecting supply and demand. Lock in your price and purchase today!

Flyer for BORP Night at Oracle Arena for Warriors v Trailblazers on December 17

Flyer for BORP Night at Oracle Arena for Warriors v Trailblazers on December 17

Categories : adult-wheelchair-basketball, BORP Adult Sports, BORP General Interest, BORP Youth Sports, youth-wheelchair-basketball
Tags : Adaptive Sports, borp, BORP Jr. Road Warriors, Jr. Road Warriors, Trooper Johnson, Warriors, wheelchair basketball

BORP Jr. Road Warriors finish in 3rd Place at NWBA Nationals

By Josh Thelin on April 7, 2014 No Comments

Congratulations to the BORP Jr. Road Warriors who returned home from Louisville, KY on Sunday after placing 3rd in the Junior NIT Division at the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Jr. Division National Championship Tournament.

The 3rd Place Jr. NIT Division BORP Jr. Road Warriors

L to R: Cortney Outman, Amit Vigoda, Andre Sein-Colon, William Luong (with trophy), Koda Inman-Alhstrom, Christie Levine, Griffen Shannon 

As the team left Oakland last week, there was a lot of excitement in the air and the kids were ready to take on the world.  A quick stop in Los Angeles proved to be not-so-quick as the plane picked up the Rancho team on the way to Atlanta before heading to Louisville.   After watching Rancho board the plane, the BORP coaches and parents found a new appreciation for our varsity kids and how efficient they manage themselves throughout the travel process.

The flight to Atlanta was delayed, but Southwest Airlines graciously held the flight for the teams and we were able to make the connection to Louisville.  To our surprise, there were members of three additional teams on the next flight and that means that there were a LOT of wheelchairs on one plane.

In order to make sure all our equipment arrived in Louisville, Southwest needed to make space and that meant removing the wheels off all the chairs to make them fit in the cargo hold.  This might not seem too difficult, but when you have over 50 wheelchairs, with 100 wheels removed, it turns into a small nightmare.

Christie Levine is responsible for managing our chairs when traveling and she did an AMAZING job of getting all our equipment together and assembled, and everyone off the plane.  Now, what does this all have to do with basketball?  Everything!  By the time the team got our equipment back together, picked up the rental cars, and drove to the hotel it was after 3:30am with a wake-up call scheduled for a mere three hours later!

 

Thursday, Game 1 vs. the Indiana Pacers

An extremely slow start had us down early.  There just did not seem to be any sense of urgency and the kids acted like they were still asleep.  We went down by 14 in the first half and finished the half down by 12.  The 2nd half started with a bang.  We turned up the heat and Koda, William, and Amit managed to create turnovers on the first few possessions.  We still could not convert but this started to build the confidence the kids needed for the rest of the game.  Over the next few possessions, we caused more turnovers and converted on three quick layups by Koda and Amit.  The Pacers just looked flat and even when they were able to finally get a shot off, we ran it out and created scoring opportunities.   Andre hit another shot and Koda came off a pick from Cortney to get the shot to bring us even. Griffen came in and gave us a few good minutes on defense and set some great picks for his teammates.   Christie and Andre continued to apply pressure at half court and William, Amit and Koda continued to convert.  The Jr. Road Warriors went on to defeat the Pacers 38-32 to advance to the next round.  This was an incredible TEAM win and watching the kids come together in the 2nd half was just beautiful.

 

Game 2 vs. Katie’s Komets

This game was over before it began.  The team had developed a new level of confidence in the first game and for the first time this season, applied this confidence from the start of the game.  The kids pressured the Komets from the tip off and held them to 5 points in the first half.  Koda, William, Andre, and Christie were shutting everything in the backcourt off and just when the team was hoping to be able to advance the ball they would run right into Cortney.  The BORP kids became a wall.  A kind of odd wall, made up of paralyzed legs, scoliosis, spasticity, wheelchairs, and a whole lot of attitude – but a wall nonetheless!  With the kids having only a few hours sleep this was honestly not what we expected.  There was simply no let-up defensively.  Griffen came in and was able to stop a couple of breakaways and Amit read the court like a book, taking advantage of open space and converting his lay-ups.  William, Christie, and Koda just kept applying more and more pressure and the Komets kept cracking.  One highlight of the game came during a scramble for a loose ball.  Andre and their biggest guy both had control when Andre went into Hulk mode and ripped the ball out of the other player’s hands.  He actually lifted the other player off the ground when he did this, and you could see that from that moment, the kids were not going to give the game away.   The Jr. Road Warriors went on to post a 35-19 victory and advance to the NIT semi-finals on Friday.

 

The entire day was such a display of maturity and resilience.  Not once did the kids say they were tired, or make any excuse for anything.  On three hours of sleep, the BORP squad got up to go play basketball, and they played as a TEAM.  We all know how important that is, because; Together, Everyone Achieves More!

 

Friday, Semi-Final Game vs. Jr. Sioux Wheelers

On Friday, the game did not go as planned and the team lost the opportunity to advance to the finals.  It was obvious that the travel woes had caught up to us and the team came out flat.  There was just not the same level of intensity from the team and even after going up by five points early, the Jr. Wheelers just had more energy on the court.  Slowly and steadily, they pulled away and we just could not match the energy level to reel them in.  Unfortunately, BORP lost 48 – 37 and had to settle for playing for 3rd place on Saturday.

 Dr. Ted Nugent and the Jr. Road Warriors, 2014

There is always a positive side.  The kids were fortunate enough to have a special guest come and watch the game.  Dr. Tim Nugent, the founder of the NWBA and the man responsible for developing the sport back in 1945 came over and took some photos with the kids.

 

Saturday, 3rd Place NIT Game vs. LSWRA (Illinois) Falcons

Like Chicken Little says – today is a new day!  That was the theme for Saturday’s game.

Saturday’s final game also marked the end of a nine-year BORP basketball career for William Luong.  Everyone was excited for him and you could tell from the beginning that the kids wanted William to finish on a positive note.

The press was on and the kids stormed them like bees.  William, Andre, Amit, and Koda swarmed the back-court and Cortney closed off everything at half court.  We were able to get multiple 10-second calls and create additional turnovers with the pressure.  Offensively, William took the game into his own hands hitting almost every shot he took.  Throughout the game, Christie, Cortney and Amit would set picks for Koda and when the defense would adjust, William would wind up in the key and Koda would find him for the lay-up.  It was a thing of beauty to watch.  Our defense remained consistent throughout the game, and even when Amit struggled offensively, he was able to turn right around and play incredible defense.  Griffin was able to use his speed and chase down and stop their transition several times.  Christie and Andre were calling out their switches and Cortney was able to anticipate moves and get in position at half court to stall their momentum.  She even grabbed a few rebounds.  Christie’s defensive confidence grew throughout the game and she was able to take more chances and recover faster.  Andre cleaned up his passing and we were able to get good looks on most of our possessions.  Andre hit a couple of baskets to add to the score, and Koda was able to get on track from both inside and out.  William, though, stole the show.  Not only did he hit the majority of his shots, he hit them when we needed them the most.  Most of his baskets stalled their run, or came when we had not been able to score for a while and needed something to fall.  It was just his day.

The Jr. Road Warriors went on to defeat the LSWRA (Illinois) Falcons and take 3rd place.  It was an incredible end to the season, and a fitting way to have William leave us.

The entire weekend was amazing.  There was a new energy with the association with the Road Warriors, and it was great to see the Road Warriors (the adult team on which coach Trooper Johnson plays) line the side of the court cheering on the kids.  There was more of a family atmosphere between teams, and the kids would immediately head over and show the same level of support when the Road Warriors played.  At the end of each game, the two teams would come together and it was incredibly powerful.

Members of the 2014 Golden State Road Warriros and BORP Jr. Road Warriors huddle together

Overall, this experience is much more than basketball.  There were 29 varsity teams represented in the Varsity and NIT tournaments, and an additional 11 Prep teams competing in the tournament.  That is almost 400 kids with physical disabilities under one roof, playing basketball and just being kids.

 

Also competing were Championship Division (Senior Elite) and Division III teams (community based teams) so kids could see the top players from throughout the US.  There were representatives from every college program in the country and Cortney and Christie attended a transitions seminar where the colleges presented information to help the kids make the step from high school to college.  There were booths from all the major sports equipment manufacturers, events for the kids, and much, much more.

 

On Saturday, there was a dance for the Jr. athletes and the kids got to see all of their friends from around the league, some of them for possibly the last time as the seniors move on.  The tournament was incredible.

 

Big thanks to Asst Coaches Richie Bennett and Steve Lau for everything they did throughout the weekend to support the team.  It is hard to be in several places at once and they make sure the details are covered.

 

Also, the Ahlstroms – thank you both for all the support throughout every tournament.  We are looking forward to next year when we have both of your grandsons on the court.

Finally, to the Luongs – There are not enough words to express BORP’s appreciation for what you have done over the years.  Most importantly, for bringing William every week, and all the granola bars ;).  Thank you, thank, you, thank you!

photo grid from the 2014 NWBA NAtional Championship Tournament

 

-Trooper Johnson, reporting

Categories : adult-wheelchair-basketball, BORP General Interest, BORP Youth Sports, youth-wheelchair-basketball
Tags : BORP Jr. Road Warriors, NWBA National Championships, wheelchair basketball

11th Annual BORP Hoops Classic Report

By Josh Thelin on March 26, 2014 No Comments

The 11th Annual BORP Hoops Classic on March 22nd & 23rd was a jam-packed (17 games, 8 teams) weekend that featured high quality play and competitive fire from every team. The BORP All Stars played three games on both days and finished with a 4-2 record while the BORP Junior Road Warriors tuned up for Junior Nationals with two games on Sunday.

This was the smoothest running Hoops Classic of all time and that would not have happened without the wonderful support of all the volunteers, officials, teams, families and friends.  Thank you to all who helped make the event a success!

Action from the 2014 BORP Hoops Classic
Scot Goodman’s AMAZING Hoops Classic 11 Photo Gallery: http://scotgoodman.smugmug.com/BORP/14c22/38015193_RBk93c
Please contact Scot at: sgoodman@lmi.net to arrange purchase and/or use of his copyrighted photos.

 

Game Re-caps

SATURDAY, March 22

At the final BORP All Stars practice prior to the tournament the coaching staff challenged the team to start strong and start strong they did. A 20-1 BORP run at the start of the first game of the day against the San Jose Spartans proved to be the deciding factor as San Jose  made several valiant runs at the BORP lead but couldn’t overcome the early deficit.

BORP All Stars 46 – San Jose Spartans 38

Top BORP scorers:
Marcus Oden: 22
Jose Naranjo: 6
Troy Plunkett: 6
Art Renowitzky: 6
Sam Craven: 2
Steve Lau: 2
Larian Thomas: 2

Members of the BORP All Stars share a laugh during the 2014 Hoops Classic

BORP All Stars share a laugh during the 2014 Hoops Classic

The All Stars second game against the Shasta Lakers was just one of those games. Shasta exploited a suddenly shaky BORP defense and BORP’s offense couldn’t find any consistency in the 53-40 BORP loss.

Shasta Lakers 56 – BORP All Stars 40
Marcus Oden: 10
Art Renowitzky: 8
Sam Craven: 6
Steve Lau: 4
Lamile Perry: 4
Pah-Bah Natzee Harrison: 2
Sam Marks: 2
Jose Naranjo: 2
Troy Plunkett: 2

Saturday for the All Stars ended with a solid performance against the Santa Rosa Blazers. Marcus Oden again led the way for the All Stars with 18 points as the All Stars used defensive pressure to pull away from the Blazers in the second half to secure the win.

BORP All Stars 36 – Santa Rosa Blazers 26

Marcus Oden: 18
Art Renowitzky: 6
Steve Lau: 6
Sam Marks: 2
Lamile Perry: 2
Sam Craven: 2

BORP All-Stars vs. Shasta Lakers at the 2014 Hoops Classic

Marcus Oden of the BORP All Stars grabs a rebound against the Shasta Lakers

SUNDAY, March 23
Another early first game for the All Stars and another great start to the day. BORP jumped to a 28-8 halftime advantage and rolled to a 48-30 win over the Reno High Rollers.

BORP All Stars 48 – Reno High Rollers 30
Marcus Oden: 12
Mickey Kay: 8
Sam Craven: 6
Steve Lau: 4
James McClanahan: 4
Lamile Perry: 4
Art Renowitzky: 4
Sam Marks: 2
Troy Plunkett: 2

Game #4 for the All Stars immediately followed the Reno game and matched them up with the BORP Junior Road Warriors (formerly the Bay Cruisers). The All Stars first half pattern of stingy defense and well distributed offense repeated itself and the All Stars took a 20-4 half-time lead. The second half played out more evenly as the Jr. Road Warriors used their superior speed and all-over the court picking to better effect after halftime but steady play up and down the line-up from the All Stars secured their 4th win.

Jr. Road Warrior Koda Ahlstrom is guarded by two BORP All Stars

Jr. Road Warrior Koda Ahlstrom is guarded by Art Renowitzky (left) and Pah-Bah Natzee Harrison of the BORP All Stars

BORP All Stars 34 – BORP Junior Road Warriors 16

All Star leading scorers:                                          Junior Road Warriors leading scorers:

Jose Naranjo 6                                                          Kota Inman-Ahlstrom: 8
Lamile Perry: 6                                                         Andre Sein-Colon: 4
Art Renowitzky: 6                                                    Amit Vigoda: 2
James McClanahan: 5                                             Christy Levine: 2
Sam Marks: 4
Troy Plunkett: 4
Mickey Kay: 2
Pah-Bah Natzee Harrison: 1

 

The Junior Road Warriors next played the Sacramento Royals and unfortunately took a half to get in synch. After halftime it was a whole different story as the Jr. Road Warriors played smart, spirited basketball that was capped by a buzzer beating 3 by Andre Sein-Colon. Not enough for a Road Warriors win but all part of some good preparation for Junior Nationals in a couple of weeks.

Reaction to Andre's buzzer beater

Teammates and onlookers react to Andre’s buzzer beating three-pointer

Sacramento Royals 59 – BORP Junior Road Warriors 38
Kota Inman-Ahlstrom: 19
Andre Sein-Colon: 13
Amit Vigoda: 6

In their final game the BORP All Stars faced the Sacramento Cagers and there wasn’t much to like in the first half for BORP fans which ended 33-16 in favor of the Cagers. The All Stars then played their best half of the tournament almost turning the tables on the Cagers with their energetic team play and just ran out of time in a 49-41 loss.

Sacramento Cagers 49 – BORP All Stars 41
Marcus Oden: 13
Mickey Kay: 8
Art Renowitzky: 8
Pah-Bah Natzee Harrison: 6
Steve Lau: 4
Sam Craven: 2

A Sacramento Cager tips over while fighting for the basketball

Typical Hoops Classic all-out effort on display

Other Scores
Sacramento Cagers 51 – Santa Rosa Blazers 34
Shasta Lakers 64 – Reno High Rollers 31
Sacramento Cagers 48 – San Jose Spartans 40
Reno High Rollers 44 – Santa Rosa Blazers 25
Shasta Lakers 52 – San Jose Spartans 23
Sacramento Cagers 56 – Reno High Rollers 43
Reno High Rollers 60 – San Jose Spartans 57
San Jose Spartans 36 – Santa Rosa Blazers 12
Sacramento Royals 44 – San Jose Spartans 43
Sacramento Cagers 57 – Santa Rosa Blazers 8

 

 

Categories : adult-wheelchair-basketball, BORP Adult Sports, BORP General Interest, BORP Youth Sports, youth-wheelchair-basketball
Tags : BORP All Stars, BORP Hoops Classic, BORP Jr. Road Warriors

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