Spring-Ford, Pope John Paul II team up with Shooting Stars

Before their high school basketball teams started up their seasons this November, Spring-Ford senior Patrick Kovaleski and Pope John Paul II junior Justin Green could be found at the Spring Valley YMCA most Wednesday nights helping others participate in the sport.

Both players were frequent volunteers for the Shooting Stars basketball program, a non-profit organization with a mission of including those with special needs in organized sports.

The two volunteer coaches shared the court with their players Saturday afternoon as Spring-Ford hosted the Shooting Stars during the Rams’ matchup with the Golden Panthers.

“Usually I’m going to the Y to help them out,” said Kovaleski, who scored 10 points in the Rams’ 50-47 win. “It was great to see them come out and support us tonight.”

The Shooting Stars basketball program began in 2010 when Mary Shields’ daughter Liz, then a Pope John Paul II student, wanted to find a way to “incorporate sports into the routine of children who do not always have the same opportunity to play team or school sports.”

Shooting Stars hosts those with special needs from Kindergarten through age 21 at the Spring Valley YMCA. The program relies on volunteer coaches from the area, many of whom are students at Spring-Ford and Pope John Paul II High School, including several players from both basketball programs.

The Shooting Stars first came out to a game last season, with the annual matchup between the Rams and Golden Panthers providing the perfect opportunity. The players were introduced before the game over the PA system and then had a shootaround during the halftime intermission.

“It’s really neat,” Mary Shields said. “You can see their joy when they were shooting. What I love to see is the parents’ joy watching the child. It’s a big deal, and I try to stress that to the players: ‘This is cool for them; you guys are like watching the Sixers.’ It’s a wonderful community event.”

Kovaleski and sophomore Nasir Cooke are two of the Rams’ players who are frequent volunteers with the program. Justin Green and his brother Kevin Green are two of the PJP players who often volunteer. Both Spring-Ford and PJP girls basketball programs have made visits as well.

“The kids there don’t have the opportunity to come and play on a high school basketball team,” Kovaleski said. “So I just like going and help them play basketball because they love playing basketball and they always have a great time.”

“It was really cool,” Justin Green added. “I know all the kids that came out, and I think they recognized me and were probably excited to see me play.”

Shields said having the Shooting Stars organization put on center stage during the Spring-Ford-Pope John Paul game brings awareness for both potential players and potential volunteers.

She hopes the event also has a positive impact at the high schools.

“It brings inclusion,” Shields said, “So then the kids from the high school know our kids and they’re in the hallway and say, ‘Hey I saw you on the court. You did great.’ It makes them feel good. It’s good for the parents to see their kids on the court that they never thought was possible and they hear their kids name on the court, really cool. It still gives me the chills.”

For more information on Shooting Stars, contact Mary Shields at TheShootingStarsTeam@gmail.com