Shawn Bowker loved playing basketball and soccer at Downsville Central School in the 1980s, and now he is back on the court as the assistant coach of the boys modified basketball team.
Bowker's participation in high school sports came to an abrupt end in his senior year at Downsville Central School. He was in a car accident in March 1987 that took his father's life and left him in a wheelchair.
Bowker, 37, of Harvard, is a participant at The Arc of Delaware County, where he told Lisa Nichols, his life coach, that he wanted to get back into sports.
"We sit down with the participants every six months and talk about meaningful activities that they want to do," Nichols said. "Shawn said he wanted to share his skills in basketball and soccer, so we had to figure out a way he could do that."
Nichols said Bowker suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident, which affects his short-term memory, but his long-term memory is intact, so he remembers everything about playing basketball.
When Stacie Haynes, The Arc of Delaware County community relations assistant and Downsville boys modified coach, heard of Bowker's interest, she said she was thrilled to offer him the opportunity to work with her team.
"Shawn is an essential part of a ball-handling drill, in which he plays defense," Haynes said. "Shawn and I stand at opposite ends of the court and the boys have to run down the court and move around us to make a lay-up.
"Shawn is really good at moving around and blocking them," Haynes added. "And the boys really love it. They look forward to him coming to practice."
Bowker also uses his Dynavox, which is a computer system that gives him a voice, to call out drills and motivate the boys, Haynes said.
"The boys have accepted Shawn fully, and the parents are really jazzed up about Shawn being there, too," Haynes said. "The father of one of the boys went to school with Shawn, which makes it really special for them."
The basketball season will soon be coming to an end, but Bowker said he wants to continue coaching. Nichols said he wants to work with baseball and soccer teams.
"This experience has opened doors and minds, showing that despite a disability, dreams can still be chased and even achieved," Haynes said. "Shawn has proven his ability to be an important part of a team and serves not only in an assistant coach role, but also as an inspiration to everyone from the individual players to the spectators."
One of the goals of The Arc of Delaware County is to help participants reach goals and achieve their dreams.
Jessica Elam, who works at The Arc, said she assists participants in getting to outside locations to work on their goals, which include sewing projects, attending senior meals to play bingo and volunteering at the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society, the Delaware County Historical Association, Countryside Care Center and at area schools.
"The goal is having the person learn and grow within the activity," Elam said. "We help people be as independent as they desire to be."
Bowker recently returned to another love, downhill skiing, which he is already excelling at because of his memories of controlling the skis.
He smiled broadly as he indicated that he intends to continue being active in sports.
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