Trent Read is a teacher at Dr. Kearney Middle School in Fort St. John. When he’s not in the classroom, he is fulfilling his other passion - basketball. He has a coaching history of 20 years, working with three different schools, and at times working with athletes ranging from grades 4 to grade 10. This week, with the 2020 Fort St. John BC Winter Games, Read found a way to get involved with the sport he loves. Taking on a new role as a scorekeeper for Wheelchair Basketball.
“Until this week, I had never seen wheelchair basketball or studied it in any way,” he said as he was about to take up his position at the scorers table. “I am so impressed with the athletes’ ability to control the ball, their chairs, and awareness of other players on the floor.”
To those that are in the same place as Read, there are some differences in the basketball game for able bodies and for the disabled. Read said until he saw the Wheelchair events, he did not realize some of the variations.
“I did not know until this weekend how traveling could be called in the wheelchair games. And I did not know about chair fouls, so there are some things you have to study.”
Although he’s coached for two decades, he had never been a score keeper. “That was an experience too. Red pen for the first half, blue for the second. And so fast, you have to really keep your wits about you to get things right.”
Wheelchair Basketball games are being held at Dr. Kearney Middle School, where Read teaches and coaches. “I know this gym, and while it is a full-size gym for middle schools, it seems perfect for the wheelchairs. These players have their own way of setting up, of creating a pick, or getting into position. This size gym is perfect for these games.”
Read was also impressed with how the crowd reacted to the events that were unfolding literally right in front of him. “This size gym helps create an infectious atmosphere. The crowd really gets into it at these games,” he said.
But what impressed Read the most was the true spirit of the athletes. “There teamwork for sure, but every one of those players were playing for pure joy and having fun while being competitive,” he said.
“If someone gets knocked down, and it seems to happen in every game, two players are there to help him or her up and into the game. The games are an interesting match up of skill and drive, but then there is this sense of cooperation that has opened my eyes a bit more to the game of basketball.”