Michael Jordan once said, "Some people want it to happen, some wish it could happen, and others make it happen."
On Wednesday, September 11, the Paladin, Inc. players walked into the Hammond Sportsplex with that mindset as they prepared to take on the Purdue University Northwest (PNW) women’s basketball team in an exhibition game.
Paladin is a non-profit organization serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lake, Porter, and La Porte Counties. The organization works hard to provide the highest level of care and independence to people of all ages and disabilities.
Kysha Roberson, assistant director of day services with Paladin, has seen the Paladin players put in the work on the court over the past several weeks. When they received an invitation to play against the PNW women’s basketball team, she knew her team would be up for the challenge.
“We have practice here every Wednesday,” Roberson said. “Our individuals were very excited to meet the players. We like to have fun with the basketball team. We have our cheerleaders to help get everybody involved as well.”
One of the biggest goals of Paladin is to engage individuals in new things through a variety of sports and activities. This event gives them a chance to not only expand the services provided by the organization but also bring awareness to the community.
Paladin typically plays basketball games against one another. This is the first time they’ve played a team outside of their organization. They wanted to make a statement against one of the best teams in the area to honor one of their late Paladin players.
“Everyone’s so excited to play them and beat them,” Roberson said. “We’re staying ready and we all want to win. We really want to win this game because one of our basketball players recently passed away. It will be the best feeling if we can get this win for George.”
Roberson was laser focused on her team winning this game. It’s safe to say the message got across pretty easily. The Paladin players scored on three of their first four possessions of the game and held a 23-12 lead after the first quarter.
They increased the lead to 41-21 by halftime. The PNW women’s basketball team bounced back with their best offensive quarter in the third. Unfortunately for them, so did the Paladin players. The lead escalated to 37 points, as Paladin was winning 78-41 after three quarters before sealing the win with a final score of 90-52.
Jesse Ford, PNW women’s basketball head coach, knew what to expect coming into the game. He was well aware that they are a team who plays hard every game until the clock hits zero. He was pleased that his team got a chance to be a part of this experience with Paladin.
“It’s awesome to see the collaboration between our team and their team,” Ford said. “Coach Mia Riese and I watched this Paladin team play a couple of weeks ago on their own. They brought a lot of joy to the sport of basketball. I’m glad our PNW student athletes got a chance to witness that and feed off of their energy.”
With opening night for women’s basketball at PNW just around the corner, the team has been turning up the intensity in practices to be prepared. However, being able to have a little fun with another group as a team made Ford ecstatic.
“We’re just ramping up our season,” Ford said. “We’re always pushing each other on the court and in the weight room until we’re tired. There are tests, exams, and practices for these students. There are a lot of challenges that come with the season so it’s nice to take our minds away from it with an event like this to open up more to our communities in Northwest Indiana.
One player from PNW’s team who had a lot of fun playing in this exhibition was Thaya Luse. Her favorite part of the event was seeing the overwhelming support and camaraderie from both teams.
“We had practice about a week ago when Paladin’s team was playing,” Luse said. “It was probably one of the loudest gyms I’ve ever been in. It’s really heartwarming to know that they have so many fans who come out to cheer their team on. It’s one thing to come out and sit in the stands, but they’re always on their feet and show their excitement for everyone on the team.”
While the team has been working hard in preparation for their season, Luse is glad they were a part of an opportunity like this to create a fun event all around.
“It’s pretty cool because it’s something different for us,” Luse said. “Having the chance to get into the community a little bit and spend time with the people that are around us is pretty cool. I’m a transfer this year and didn’t get many opportunities like this in the past. It’s truly a blessing.”
Between quarters, the cheerleaders helped motivate the crowd and even danced with the players. Music played throughout the exhibition and there was food provided for the players and fans. After the game, everyone shook hands and left the gym with warm smiles.
For more information on Paladin or Purdue Northwest, you can visit their websites.
