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Hoop lessons on wheels at Port Moody high school

Teen brings wheelchair basketball to his school in time for the Kodiac Klassic basketball tourney this weekend
Wheelchair
Wheelchair athlete and Heritage Woods secondary school Grade 12 student Thomas Venos with some of his fellow students as well as teachers Mike Viveiros and Greg Schellenberg. The entire school is learning how to play wheelchair basketball thanks to efforts by Venos, and on Thursday, teachers and Port Moody police officers participated in a basketball scrimmage on the speedy and ultra-maneuverable sport wheelchairs supplied by the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society. See story on page 6.

Heritage Woods secondary school is known in basketball circles for its annual tournament, the Kodiak Klassic.

But during this past week in the lead-up to the weekend event, the most popular basketball games being played on the school's shiny gym floor were played on wheels — sport wheelchairs, to be exact.

Thanks to the efforts of Thomas Venos, a Heritage Woods student and a wheelchair athlete who is a top-tier basketball and tennis player, all the students at the Port Moody high school are learning the rules and the challenges of shooting hoops from a speedy and highly-maneuverable chair.

"I just wanted the students to see what it is like," Venos told The Tri-City News.

Working with the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society and Nadine Barbisan, a coach, as well as his teacher sponsor Mike Viveiros, Thomas ensured that everyone in his school gets to try out the sport during PE class.

The added bonus is that he is getting credits for the effort for his independent study course in business management.

Thomas hopes to be a coach himself one day and is working towards earning an athletic scholarship with the University of Alabama, where he will pursue a degree in kinesiology.

Leaving his home and his country will hardly be the greatest challenge he has faced.

Thomas was an avid soccer player when he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident at the end of Grade 10.

And he said he has lost none of his competitive edge playing wheelchair sports. In fact, he says wheelchair basketball is even more difficult than regular hoops, requiring twice-weekly workouts at the gym in addition to practices.

Meanwhile, the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society is pleased to be welcomed into the school, said Barbisan. "It's great to see the leadership from Thomas because an athlete should be proud of their sport and educating other students."

As for his classmates, many said they were surprised at how difficult it is to shoot a basketball from a moving chair and, although the chair is easy to move around, pushing and steering takes a lot of muscle.

"It's harder to position yourself to pass the ball," said Alexa Davis while Sarah Dadfar said playing from a wheelchair levels the playing field between taller and shorter players.

Indeed, watching a group of students try out the chairs, it became obvious that maneuverability could also pose challenges when trying to move in a straight line.

Teacher Viveiros said the students have been signing up in droves for lunch intramurals to try out the sport or are watching from the second-floor lobby.

"The excitement among the whole student body is exceptional," Viveiros said.

And when The Tri-City News visited Wednesday, the school was getting ready for its Kodiak Klassic and excitement was at fever pitch, with the highlight being the annual scrimmage between teachers and members of the Port Moody police.

But this year, there was an additional challenge — the annual basketball rivalry was to be played on wheels.

Let the games begin.