Clackamas Print
Sports 5
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007
All pictures taken by Ben Caldwell Clackamas Print
Riley Lundgren
The Clackamas Print
Last weekend Clackamas hosted the Easter Seals ’
Tell Rounded Sports event
|Wheelchair athletes from across the states came
the college to help kids who face physical chal-
■s get involved in sports.
Athletes included professional tennis player Dave
'agner. basketball star Scott Law and PGA golfer
Gammet. Each taught his area of expertise.
“We want kids to have the opportunity to come
id see that they can do things, like play basketball
play tennis,” said Easter Seals volunteer Peggy
'alters.
AS stated on their Web site, the Easter Seals aid
jWaduals with disabilities and special needs, and
aBamilics” via an assortment of services.
Watters and others from the Easter Seals program
Oregon assisted in running Well Rounded Sports.
“Having it at the college worked out great,”
id Easter Seals Special Project Coordinator Mike
'atters. husband of Peggy. ‘It was easy for every-
le to get to.”
Throughout the day, the kids took part in demon-
ations regarding how to become a better athlete in
tl^oftball, basketball and tennis.
I Bove playing sports,” said 16-year-old Vancouver student
aleb Kallappa. “Since eighth grade, I have been involved
iti^ports. There’s no season where I’m not doing a sport”
Kai lappa, who has been in a wheelchair his whole life, was
Kg the many participants.
“It’s great to have a program like this,” said Scott Law of
ell Rounded Sports.
Law lives in Ohio, where he plays for the Cleveland
fliers Wheelchair Basketball Team.
He is also sponsored by a company called Invacare, which
^■buted to the day’s activities as well. Invacare is a com
ity that makes and distributes healthcare products, such as
heelchairs. oxygen systems and beds.
I “To have things like the Easter Seals and Invacare to be here
ABOVE: Wheelchair basketball star
Scott Law gives athletes instructions at
the beginning of the event.
LEFT: Two participants help each other
balance a tennis ball on a racquet in
the Easter Seals’ Well Rounded Sports
event.
BELOW: Law joins paticipant Steven on
the court.
to help sponsor this event helps a lot,” Law said.
The program was not just based on developing
skills on the court, but also in life.
“I used to be shy and [didn’t] go or do any
thing,” Kallappa said, “but I went to an event
like this one, and that all changed ... Here I can
connect with kids who are going through the same
things I am going through. 1 can share my life
with them, and they understand.”
Peggy Watters said, “To have an event where
they can come and play and learn and be around
people just like them makes it so much better.”
Mike Watters said, “People always ask, ‘Well,
what happens when they fall down?’ They get
back up.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
yan-tasy leagues bring interactive hobby to sport fans
Dale Balbi
The Clackamas Print
A fantasy sport isn’t necessarily what
:ople think.
It’p not getting on the playing field
ith popular athletes or playing full-
mtact sports with the person you’ve
d a crush on since third grade.
I Fantasy sports are about forming a
ana by either drafting players or sign-
g them using the salary cap. The object
to collectively have the best number
her week-to-week or for the entire
ason, depending upon the league.
It all started in 1980, when sports
•iter Daniel Okrent invented rotisserie
iseball. As a result, the first-ever fan-
sy draft took place.
This particular league only used play
ers from the National League rather
than those from both the national and
American leagues. Okrent and his fellow
sports writers kept track of certain stats
for batting and pitching categories.
Rotisserie leagues aren’t just picking
stats out of a magazine anymore. For
example, in a 10-team team league when
a team is first in a specific category, 10
points are awarded. Second place in that
category receives nine points, and the
person who is last gets only one point.
Some of the categories a person would
see in fantasy basketball would be points
scored, rebounds, assists, three-pointers
made, steals, blocks and the percentage
categories. Whoever has the most points
at the end of the season wins.
Head-to-head leagues are another
option on the Internet. Teams play a
different team each week and try to win
more categories than their opponent.
In the playoffs, the teams with the
best records play each other, much like
a regular post season. A consolation
bracket gives most that don’t qualify
something to play for instead of having
their season cut short.
Fantasy sports can help someone
learn more about the individual players.
For example, in the NBA, people know
about superstars like Kobe Bryant and
Kevin Garnett, but are unfamiliar with
players like Danny Granger and Chris
Kaman.
Today, fantasy sports grow more
popular than ever as thousands upon
thousands log on to the Internet, browse
their teams’ recent performances and
participate in online drafts.
On Yahoo sports, someone would
find leagues for all kinds of sports, such
as baseball, basketball, football, hockey,
NASCAR and golf, just to name a few.
The ESPNEWS show Fantasy Insider
discusses fantasy football every Sunday
from 8 to 9 a.m.
Each Sunday, a radio show called
Fantasy Focus covers fantasy football
and baseball from 4 to 6 a.m.
Daily fantasy basketball program
Fantasy Hoops airs from 10 to 11 p.m.
on NBA TV.
Listeners can call in on all shows
mentioned, but the Fantasy Insider asks
for advice from someone’s own team.
In the end, fantasy sports are a game
of numbers, so maybe a numbers game
can be a fantasy.