 |
 |
| photo by Racheal Alvstad / Scroll |
|
|
|
Now that 2006 March Madness has concluded, and the NCAA basketball kings for this year have been crowned, where will the attention of sports fans turn in April?
A reasonable answer would be the NBA playoffs, which are set to begin in only a few weeks. However, there is a different brand of basketball being played in April, right here in Idaho.
On April 15, the Rexburg Bobcats will start playing in the state-qualifying playoffs for the Idaho Special Olympics.
This will be the third time around for David Ritchie, a Madison high school graduate and Rexburg resident, as he goes for his third straight gold medal in basketball.
Ritchie is developmentally delayed, meaning he functions as though he were about 8- or 10-years-old.
“I love playing with kids with special needs,” Ritchie said. “It’s a great experience to meet kids and adults with disabilities.”
Ritchie has been playing basketball since elementary school, when taught by his best friend, Tanner Webster.
He described his most rewarding experience from last year, when teammate Gavin Miller, a fifth-grader from Rexburg, would give the ball away to opposing players.
In order to help Miller get more involved, Ritchie and his younger brother, Nathan, grabbed Miller’s hands and ran him down the court.
“[The crowd] was excited, especially [Gavin’s] mom and dad,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie’s basketball capabilities have not been confined to the Bobcats. Earlier this year, he found a place on the 24th Ward’s intramural team, which finished the season with a record of 5-1.
“I was surprised by how good he was shooting the three-pointers,” said Chris Drapeau, a freshman from Merrillville, Ind., and an opponent of Ritchie’s during the season. “It inspired me to see him not limited by his condition.”
When speaking of his ward team, Ritchie remains disappointed his team did not make it out of the first round of the playoffs, but he continues to enjoy playing with his Special Olympics team.
“I love it to death,” Ritchie said. “You’re not the only one who has a special need.”
