The Challenger Basketball Program is an adaptive sports program that is sponsored by the Palos Verdes Youth Basketball League (PVYBL). The program is non-competitive and focuses on basketball fundamentals and fun! The program works with a buddy system that pairs youth volunteers with Challenger participants who have physical or developmental challenges. The buddies ensure players a safe, fun, and memorable experience.
PV Magazine had the opportunity to talk with Quinn Mulkey who runs Challenger Basketball in Palos Verdes. Quinn explained that when her son was in high school and was looking for services hours, he asked why there was not a Challenger Basketball program on the Peninsula. He was aware of Challenger Baseball and Football, but at the time there was not a Challenger Basketball program. Her son was inspired to start a program, the first hurdle was finding court time. The different Challenger programs operate under the umbrella of other organizations such as Little League and Pop Warner which assist with insurance, expenses, facilities etc. To get Challenger Basketball started, they partnered with a local basketball sports program and were able to secure court time on Sundays. The next hurdle was developing adaptive gear such as creating special basketball hoops from trash cans and plywood, and balls with bells for the visually impaired. Through trial and error, they developed drills and games that worked for the participants, which included young kids through young adults up to age 22 with special needs. Today the program is sponsored by PVYBL and serves up to 56 participants per season with 120 to 130 youth buddies. They play at the PVP High School gym, and the program runs 8-10 weeks depending on court availability. Athletes register to participate and volunteers drop-in to help with as many sessions as do-able. The program is so popular they have a waiting list for athlete participants. Although this means Quinn worries weekly about having enough volunteers to offer athletes one-on-one support, there has been overwhelming support from the volunteer community. They also have three assistant coaches, including one from each high school, who brought new energy to the program and helped ready many participants to play a game independently. Quinn says it is incredible to watch the friendships, communication, and engagement for both the participants and the volunteers. The participants experience developmental growth while the volunteers grow in empathy and compassion. Quinn says the program “is a life changing opportunity for those involved”.
If you have a service group that would like to volunteer with Challengers Basketball, or you would like to donate to the program visit pvybl.com or email Challenger@PVYBL.com.
