Basketball a 'special thing' for these teens

With all the fast breaks, no-look passes and hard-nosed defense on display Saturday at the Junior Wheelchair Bulls Invitational basketball tournament, it could rival any action you'd see these days at the United Center.

Eight teams, including the Bulls, came from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin to compete in the 13th annual tournament hosted in Addison by the Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association.

The Bulls came back from trailing 14-5 in the first half to rally before losing 29-25 to the Rollin' Hoosiers in a first-round nail-biter. Despite the defeat and looking to fare no better than fifth in their own tournament, coach Jerry Barton had nothing but praise for his team.

"Say what you want, but these kids are awesome and they play with every bit of energy they have," Barton said of his players, several who suffer from spina bifida or cerebral palsy. "When we click as a team, we look unbeatable. We saw some of that fire in the second half this morning."

Despite the exciting tournament atmosphere and chair-banging, all-out hustle by the kids, their parents say the game means so much more than a ranking in a tournament bracket.

Libertyville's Carol Rymsza was cheering on her 15-year-old son, Nathanael, who is in his eighth year as a Junior Wheelchair Bull. Despite having spina bifida, Nathanael also plays ice hockey and his parents encourage every minute of it.

"Look at him out there. This helps him be just like all of the other kids. It's huge," Rymsza said. "Just like any other kid, he lives for being a part of this. His friends come watch him and his girlfriend also comes as often as possible to cheer him on."

Peter Belka, 18, of Chicago, is in his sixth and last year of eligibility playing with the Bulls. He also has spina bifida but doesn't consider it an obstacle in his game.

"I'm a good dribbler, a team player and I love basketball," he said. "My skills improve a lot playing with the team."

For 18-year-old Jimmy Allen, of Schaumburg, this is also his 11th and final ride with the team before heading off to college. His father, Jim, doesn't know what or how many activities he'll find at the college level to keep him stimulated.

"Even with cerebral palsy, Jimmy's always been a happy and active kid," his father said. "But this basketball thing really changed his whole morale and attitude when he started several years ago. This is a special thing."