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Linden-McKinley Basketball Team Holds Clinics for Special Olympic Athletes
December 2, 2022 -- Special Olympic athletes are starting their season with a slam dunk, with the assist coming from the Linden-McKinley Panthers. Linden-McKinley STEM Academy’s boys' varsity basketball team is proud to host its first Special Olympics Basketball Clinic for the Columbus City Schools Comets.
“As a team, we are learning what it means to give back to the community,” said senior Christopher Towns. “I’m excited about this opportunity because my sister is special needs, and sometimes she doesn’t get the same opportunities others get. I’m glad I have a skill that I can share, and look forward to learning something from the Comets, too.”
Through a partnership, three Special Olympics basketball teams - one women’s team and two men’s teams - will attend the clinics. The attending athletes range from middle school to 50 years of age.
“Here at Linden-McKinley, we make sure we take pride in our community,” said Panthers Coach Darthard. “We want to be a positive influence in the Linden community, at school, and on the court. Each year I try to think of different philanthropic community services for the team to get involved with to build another layer onto what we are already doing.”
This year was no different for Darthard. After expressing interest in more community outreach, he connected with CCS Special Olympics Coordinator John Esson.
“Darthard took the initiative to reach out to us to ask us how they could be involved with our program,” Esson said. “After talking with Coach Darthard, we felt this was a great opportunity for our athletes to interact with his team.”
When trying to create a vision for the partnership, the two kept throwing around ideas until one hit ‘nothing but net.’
“The one thing that stuck was a clinic,” Darhard said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity and ability to put on the clinic.”
At the clinic, athletes will run through drills led by the varsity players. The stations will include the three basic skills: passing, dribbling, and shooting. The hour-long clinic will also include a defense and fitness component.
“We are Linden-McKinley, we love to play defense, and we love to hit the weight room,” Darthard said.
In addition to the player-led stations, Coach Darthard will teach fitness and zone concepts, as the Comets usually run a 2-3 zone defense.
“I’m looking forward to having fun. I can learn things from them, and we can teach them some stuff,” said freshman Tajohn Royster. “I’m looking forward to teaching some crossovers, shots, and my favorite – sweep through, dribble, then shoot. That drill has helped me work on my craft a lot.”
The ultimate goal for the Panthers is to share their knowledge of the game they love, build relationships and help their fellow athletes improve their b-ball skills.
“Our District tries to provide all our Special Olympics athletes with the same experiences that our Varsity teams have,” Esson said. “They compete in regional and state tournaments just like our high school teams do. Last year, we had one team make it to the elite eight, two lost in the state championships, and our under-21 team won the state title!”
“These clinics are another chance for our athletes to experience what a practice is like for our varsity athletes. For the players from Linden-McKinley, it is a chance to see what our athletes are capable of and to get to interact with them in a small group setting while sharing the bond formed by competition in sports.”
The Panthers are out in the community often with McKinley Mentors, a program for the Panthers to mentor the youth at Hamilton STEM Academy. They also partner with the Linden Community Center, New Salem, and others.
“I want these kids to see their impact in the community,” Darthard said. “I want them to be grateful for the opportunities they have here at Linden, the opportunities they have to play basketball, and the blessings they have to play at the level they play. Then, I want them to pass it down and teach what they know to others.”