A chance at independence, friendship and fun

Chuck Aoki was 7 years old when his parents took him to a sports camp at Courage Center. He had to quit tee ball after a year because of a degenerative neurological disorder, but his mother wasn't going to let him sit around.

He tried out all kinds of sports at the week-long summer camp and instantly fell in love with basketball. Monday, he was back in the gym at Courage Center's Golden Valley campus, directing a high-spirited game of Wiffle Ball.

"I see a little of myself in all these kids," said Aoki, 19, a national champion in wheelchair basketball and a member of the U.S. Paralympic wheelchair rugby team. "I remember being scared and nervous the first time I was here. Then I found that playing sports was really enabling for me."

Lots of other kids will experience the same kind of awakening this week, as Courage Center holds its annual sports camp for children with disabilities. Monday kicked off five days of golf, basketball, floor hockey, sailing, water skiing, soccer and more, to introduce kids from 8 to 15 years old to the wide menu of recreational and competitive sports available through Courage Center.

Youth sports coordinator Mike Bauler has seen dozens of shy, uncertain youngsters come to their first camp with little sense of their potential. Many have gone on to become skilled athletes -- and like Aoki, many come back to Courage Center to help others learn how much their lives can be enriched by sports.

"A lot of these kids have never done anything independent before they come here," said Bauler, who has overseen the camps for the past three years. "They start out as quiet kids with low confidence, but the next thing you know, they're giving their teammates pointers and helping out the coaches.

"Through playing sports and having fun, they realize they can be independent and competitive. They're becoming young adults and young leaders, learning what they're really capable of in life."

Its basketball, soccer and track and field teams compete at the highest levels. The Junior Rolling Timberwolves won their third national championship last spring, and the power-wheelchair soccer team just won its first national title last weekend.

Courage Center offers sports for adults, too -- including its new Operation Liberty program for military veterans, with a focus on those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But the youth programs, Bauler said, attract larger numbers. Monday, about a dozen kids tried their hands at archery at the center's indoor range before joining another group playing Wiffle Ball.

Collin Evans, 12, demonstrated impressive aim with the bow and proved to be a nimble infielder on the Wiffle Ball floor. In his first at-bat, he smacked a high fly ball that was caught by 12-year-old Janet Scanlon. Scanlon is a member of the basketball and track teams but wanted to try some new sports this week.

"My dad really wanted me to get into archery," said Scanlon, who has cerebral palsy. "I love playing sports here. I get to travel with the team and meet a lot of new people. To see how much potential people have, even if they're disabled, it's really cool."

Many of them, including Aoki, stay involved as athletes, coaches and volunteers. Aoki was helping with the camp while on summer break from the University of Arizona, where he plays wheelchair rugby. This fall, he will play for Team USA at the world championships in Vancouver.

"Being a kid with disabilities is hard," said Aoki, who is majoring in family studies and human development with the goal of becoming a sports and recreation director for the disabled. "In regular school, you feel a little left out.

"Then you come here, and you're like, 'Wow! Everyone here is like me.' You learn that sports can really open things up for you. And that's an awesome feeling."