When it comes to playing basketball in Northwest Indiana, one could argue that there’s no team larger than the Paladin, Inc. players. From the extensive roster to the fans that flood the stands, they have proven to be one of the easiest teams to root for in the Region.
Paladin is a non-profit organization that serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout Lake, Porter, La Porte, Jasper, Newton, Pulaski, St. Joseph, and Starke counties. The organization is all about providing the highest level of care possible and independence to people of all ages and disabilities.
Kymberli Roberts, general manager of the Hammond Sportsplex, was ecstatic to host this exhibition match for the Paladin players.
“This is a great community event to get our police and fire department out here to play with Paladin,” Roberts said. “They love coming to the Hammond Sportsplex whenever they can.”
Kysha Roberson, assistant director of day services at Paladin, knows how much time and effort the Paladin players have put on the basketball court to prepare for their games. In this exhibition, they were challenged by the Hammond Fire and Police Department Team. While this is the first time the Paladin players have taken it to the court together this season, Roberson is grateful to see them come together and dominate once again.
“The individuals are hyped up, and we’re prepared for anything,” Roberson said. “Even though this is the start of the season, the players are ready for any challenge, no matter who is on the other side.”
The Paladin players compete in many basketball games against one another throughout the year. On September 11, 2024, the team got its first glimpse at playing a team outside of its organization in an exhibition match against the Purdue University Northwest (PNW) women’s basketball team.
“That was such an exciting game for our players,” Roberson said. “Today is another fun one because our team gets to take on the Hammond Police and Fire Departments. They want to take the Hammond team down.”
In this exhibition against the Hammond Fire and Police Department Team, the defensive effort was on full display from both teams. The game went to overtime, with the Paladin players coming out on top with a final score of 40-30.
With some of the players on the opposing team having a basketball background, it motivated the Paladin players to bring their A-game to showcase their skills and match the level of the players on the Hammond Fire and Police Department Team.
“They might have experience playing together, but so do we,” Roberson said. “We have a great team of individuals who live for games like this.”
Adam Seles, patrolman for the Hammond Police Department, was a captain for his team. Coming into the game, he knew that the Paladin players were going to put forth a collective effort.
“We just got done playing in a basketball tournament ourselves,” Seles said. “Once we heard about this event, we jumped on it. This is a fun opportunity for us to play basketball with these guys, even if they whoop on us a little bit.”
While the Paladin players love to play in these exhibition games, this is just one of the many opportunities they get to work as a team and compete in fun activities together.
“Competition is key for us,” Roberson said. “We actually are in the middle of a pool tournament. We are having the elimination rounds within our centers, and our final pool tournament will follow. We're also thinking about starting a soccer team in the near future. Our individuals just love to be together, having fun, and praising one another.”
The cheerleaders kept the crowd lively during breaks between quarters and timeouts. Jesse Ford, PNW women’s basketball head coach, and Mia Riese, PNW women’s basketball assistant coach, came out to support the Paladin players in this contest, along with some players from the PNW team.
For more information on Paladin, you can visit paladin.care.
