Back when I was in school, Fridays meant pizza in the cafeteria, cupcake sales and it was basically the best day of the week. While there weren’t any cupcakes last Friday at Pleasanton Middle School, it was definitely the best day of the week as 200 student-athletes participated in a basketball competition!
Middle and high schools from the Tri-Valley area made their way to Pleasanton Middle School, which was hosting its first secondary competition. Classes from the Dublin, Livermore Valley, Pleasanton, school districts played spirited basketball games after spending weeks training on their respective campuses.
Some of the classes played on their own, and some of the classes had parent, teacher or general education peer partners to help guide the students receiving special education services.
A couple of my favorite parts were…
• In Opening Ceremonies, instead of just announcing schools, it was a contest to see who could cheer the loudest for the schools. While there was lots of hooting for each of the schools, there was nothing louder than the combined symphony of applause and hollering as all the teachers were thanked!
• Officers from Camp Parks in Dublin made the trip to Pleasanton to cheer on Dublin High and all of the basketballers, which was a real treat to see! They’ve been working have been working with the transition class at Dublin High School.
• Watching his schoolmates, teammates, members of the opposing team, teachers and the Camp Parks officers cheer on a student-athlete as he attempted (and made!) a field goal
For those adaptive PE teachers out there…
On each court – there were four spread across the PMS gym – there were two baskets at each end: the higher basket suspended from the wall and a lower one that was three feet high.
Purchased on Amazon for the low price of $103, the baskets can be positioned at three feet, 5.5 feet or eight feet high – making it adaptable to all levels of skills. Instead of the messy and troublesome water or sand, these baskets were held steady by 45-pound weights.
They even fit into a trailer for even transportation. All of this was masterminded by our wonderful TSA who runs the Schools Partnership Program in Tri-Valley, Eric.
Thanks to all the teachers, Eric the TSA, parents, general education student volunteers, student-athletes and Pleasanton Middle School for making the basketball competition a smashing success!