March Madness: Dix Hills Basketball

If you have a special-needs child, you know it can sometimes be difficult to find athletic programs that your child can join. 

It's not as difficult if you happen to live in the Half Hollow Hills school district, where there are Challenger programs available. There is , and Challenger Basketball, to name two. 

What does that mean? The Challenger Basketball program provides an athletic experience for children who are physically or mentally challenged, giving them the opportunity to be part of a team sport. Everyone gets a chance to play, regardless of limitations.  

The program is open to any challenged child from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The children are all placed on coed teams and with coaches. They learn skill development and have simulated games. This year they had 24-25 Challenger players. There are also high school students who act as “buddies” and assist them during the games. They had 32 buddies this year.

One of those buddies is Lee Goshman, who is graduating this year. "I love doing this, getting to do something within the community, for the community," he said. "And it doesn't stop here. Just because I'm graduating this June and going off to college, this doesn't end. This is a lifelong thing. I will always be here to play basketball with Zach, as long as he wants me to. He's my buddy."

The Challenger program has been around for three seasons now, and is part of the Dix Hills Basketball Association, which was started in 2006 by five board members: Tony DeSabato, his wife, Betty, Marty Connor, Robert Hidalgo and George Mueller. Maribeth Kramer is the commissioner for the Challenger program. 

When they started Dix Hills Basketball five years ago, they had about 400 children join, said board member George Mueller. This year they had over 600. Besides the Challenger program, he explained they also have the Instructional program, which is for kindergarteners through second graders. They learn skill development: dribbling, passing and shooting, said Mueller.

There is also the Intramural program, which runs from third grade through twelfth grade. They have boys and girls teams, and the season consists of ten games plus the playoffs. All teams make the playoffs.

They also have a Travel team.

They primarily use  for games on Friday evenings and Sundays, Mueller said. On Saturdays they use for the Instructional and Challenger games. They use other HHH schools during the week for practices, Mueller added.

Dix Hills Basketball will be holding their annual "Golf Classic" fundraiser on Monday June 6 at Hamlet Willow Creek Golf and Country Club in Mount Sinai. It's a day-long event, starting with breakfast at the club, lunch on the course and then cocktails and dinner afterward. For more information, check out the website.

Dix Hills Basketball has its own website and Facebook page as well. 

Their season runs from November through March. Early bird registration is already available for next season. They are always looking for parents who are willing to be a coach, assistant coach or team parent. And of course high school students are always needed to volunteer as Buddies for the Challenger program.

The Challenger season concluded today, with final games, awards and refreshments, as did the Instructional league, for K-2.

Championship Day, which celebrates the conclusion of the fifth Intramural season with playoff games followed by award ceremonies and refreshments, will be next Sunday, March 20 at Candlewood Mildde School starting at 9 a.m. (third grade boys), with the last game at 6 p.m. (eleventh/twelfth grade boys).