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Meet a real MVP
SB 11-year-old is wheelchair warrior
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October 29, 2009 | 01:58 PM
Chad Sussman of Sound Beach was an active child who enjoyed socializing and playing soccer. But when severe nerve damage during an operation left him wheelchair-bound in kindergarten, Chad could no longer fully participate in all school activities.
Born with spina bifida occulta, one of the mildest forms of the developmental birth defect affecting the spinal cord, Chad, now 11, underwent several surgeries as a child, according to his mother, Leslie Sussman. When he became disabled in kindergarten, Chad entered a "whole different world" where he was "different" from his peers, Leslie said. Then five years ago, a friend of the family introduced Chad to the Long Island Lightning Junior Wheelchair Basketball Team, which provides competitive athletic opportunities for the physically challenged.
As part of the Greater Long Island Wheelchair Athletic Club, a nonprofit corporation formed in 1997, the Lightning serves young boys and girls from all over Long Island and teaches them ways to improve general health and stamina while developing the skills necessary to excel as a team on the basketball court and as individuals in life, according to a release. Both the prep level team (age 13 and under) and the varsity team (age 13 through high school graduation) compete nationally and play by National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, with the exception that the prep level uses an 8.5-foot basket instead of the standard 10 feet.
Since joining the Lightning five years ago, Chad has helped his team win second place at the East Coast Nationals in 2008 and was voted Most Valuable Player All-Tournament, his mother said. She added that being able to "see other kids in wheelchairs just like him, and then to play basketball and be socially active" has benefitted her son physically, emotionally and mentally. "He gets to belong to a team," she said. "They develop friendships."
The Lightning, which currently has 13 members, practices every Monday night, mostly in Nold Hall at SUNY Farmingdale, according to its website. Not only does the team's national competitive schedule provide the youngsters with exposure to universities throughout the nation, four graduates of the program have also received college scholarships to compete in inter-collegiate wheelchair sports.
Sussman, who serves as treasurer for the athletic club, said fundraising efforts help cover the expenses of traveling to compete. "That's how we survive, or parents have to fund their own way," she said, "so we definitely rely on donations."
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| Chad says the letters in his name stand for Cool, Happy, Athletic and Determined. |
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Mark Drummer, Lightning coach since 1997, said the team teaches children to "sacrifice their own self glory for the betterment of the team" and to "win and lose gracefully." The only junior wheelchair basketball team in New York state history, the Lightning is dedicated to "teaching life skills, and not really basketball," Drummer said, noting that the athletes "learn in their own minds that their own hard work is equal to their own success."
Chad, a sixth-grader at North Country Road Middle School in Miller Place, said he enjoys "just getting out there and having fun." "I learned different things," he said. "I met new friends." He added that it's "nice to be around kids my age" because he spends most of his time with adults.
When competing with his team, Chad said he feels "energized" from the adrenaline. Noting the thrill of riding a roller coaster, the 11-year-old athlete said, "That's how basketball feels for me."
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| | | Chad Sussman handling the rock for the Long Island Lightning Wheelchair Basketball Team in a game against the New Jersey Nets of Edison, N.J. (click for larger version) | |
In an effort to help people see past the wheelchairs and disabilities, St. James photographer Heather Walsh began a project titled "Athlete" in March. As stated in her project, Walsh's "desire is to influence the observer to view these kids in a fresh approach — as athletes instead of physically challenged" by showcasing their abilities in a series of pictures.
Walsh, who began her photography career over 15 years ago, said she was drawn to the Lightning because it's the only junior wheelchair basketball team in New York. When she first met Chad several months ago, Walsh said Chad shared that his name means "cool, happy, athletic and determined." Having spent a great deal of time getting to know the athletes and their families, the photographer said the experience has been "fascinating." "They're really athletes," she said, noting the program also "opens them up to more possibilities" by showing that "they can go away like an able-bodied kid and go to college."
To make a contribution to the Greater Long Island Wheelchair Athletic Club, send a check payable to GLIWAC to PO Box 1141, Sound Beach, NY 11789. For information, visit www.gliwac.org.
To view a sample of photographer Heather Walsh's ongoing project, visit www.heatherwalsh.com.
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