Hoops player in wheelchair aims high Brewer program supportive of teen

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BREWER – All of the players were working hard trying to score points, but one wasn’t on his feet and wasn’t running during a recent Middle School League basketball game sponsored by the Brewer Parks and Recreation Department.

Craig Popper, who plays for the Gators, was shooting hoops and dribbling from a wheelchair on the hardwood at the Brewer Auditorium.

“You go home so angry sometimes, and sometimes the anger isn’t there – there’s tears,” said 14-year-old Popper, who is an eighth-grade student at William S. Cohen Middle School in Bangor. “I range from one to two minutes of playing time; it’s frustrating.”

The first reaction by many is positive after watching Popper, who has cerebral palsy, play on a basketball team with able-bodied opponents. Yes, it is great, he says, explaining that he is appreciative of the opportunity from the department and the support of his coach, Francis “Chip” Ware.

The boy usually walks with a walker but uses a modified wheelchair to play basketball. However, like other young athletes, he would like to play more.

Popper, who started playing in the Brewer league at the end of last season, said he is happy to be involved, but he also gets frustrated.

“They only put him in when the team is way ahead, or way behind,” said Bonnie Popper, Craig’s mother. “Because mobility is the issue, he isn’t going to be the star player.”

Popper admits he is not the star player, but he is eager to play more and keeps a positive attitude on the sidelines as he supports his teammates with words of encouragement.

Michael Martin, Brewer’s recreation supervisor, said allowing Popper to play in the league occurred after a review process of his department’s inclusion policy, contact with other local and national recreation departments and evaluation of the boy’s skills.

“We didn’t want his participation to change the nature of the game for the other participants,” Martin said. “We wanted to make sure he was safe as well as the other participants. We also wanted others who had signed up for the program to get the program they had signed up for.”

The consensus from other recreation departments, Martin said, was against on-court participation, and in favor of having a wheelchair participant only inbound the ball or shoot foul shots.

Because the Brewer program emphasizes participation rather than winning, its department concluded that Popper should be able to practice and play in games – but with some guidelines.

“Our goal was to do more. That was driven a lot by Craig’s enthusiasm and his attitude,” Martin said.

The guidelines Popper has to follow, Martin explained, are that he is not allowed in the lane and his participation is limited due to the changing nature of the game.

Martin said the league wants to give Popper as much playing time as possible, but explained an unfair advantage may occur for his team or the opponent because he can’t go in the lane.

“Our coaches all work with that and are happy to have Craig involved,” Martin said. “When he scored his first basket last year, everyone was thrilled.”

Popper’s family traveled to Augusta Sunday for his first practice with a wheelchair team called the LA Wheelers. He said one of the main reasons he participates in the Brewer league is to keep his skills up so he’ll be ready in case he has a chance to join a wheelchair basketball team.

“Brewer has been wonderful for letting Craig get involved, but he needs something more,” Mrs. Popper said.

Craig first started to get interested in basketball several years ago when his brother Collin, who is in seventh grade, got a basketball hoop for his birthday. Popper was determined to play. When his brother wasn’t around, Craig was out shooting hoops.

He joined the Brewer league toward the end of last season after a wheelchair basketball team he was on – sponsored by Maine Adaptive Sports – folded because it didn’t have enough money. Popper, on his own initiative, called Martin after discovering Bangor didn’t offer a middle school league.

“I think it’s great – he has to be his own self-advocate. I want him to be as independent as he can be,” said Mrs. Popper.

Craig spent at least two weeks waiting for an answer from Brewer and did a skill evaluation at its court.

“We wanted to see what he was capable of doing on the floor – to make sure it was a safe environment for him and everyone,” Martin said, adding that all new participants don’t try out as there are no player cuts. They do, however, attend a preseason skill evaluation conducted by the coaches.

Through the long process of getting on the team, the short playing time in games and weekly Saturday practices, Craig’s motivation to play basketball has remained firm.

“I’m thinking long term,” he said, explaining he wants to play wheelchair basketball in college. “Also, there might be someone else who comes along who wants to do this. I hope that maybe I can help them.”

Martin said the reaction to Craig’s involvement has been positive from parents and the volunteer officials and coaches, especially from Ware, who asked that Craig be put on his team.

“Each one of our coaches said let’s find a way to get him involved. I have been thrilled with our in-house cooperation and attitude,” Martin said. “Craig is a great kid. When you see his enthusiasm, you want to get him on the court. Chip has been great with him.”

Ware said Craig has been an asset to his team.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for him,” Ware said. “It’s worked out great.”

Ware said last season Craig was able to play more as the team was young and the games were close. This season, because of the “nature of the game” guideline, it has been more difficult to provide as much playing time, he explained.

However, Ware expected Craig to play lots of minutes in Tuesday night’s game and said when he is not in the games, he is very supportive of his teammates.

“The kids have acted fantastic with him – they try to get him the ball,” Ware said. “Other kids who guard him play him straight up and don’t try to cram the ball back at him.”

Popper had tried other sports such as Little League baseball where he batted on his knees and tried the catcher’s position, but he is mostly interested in basketball. He already has a college in mind, Arizona State, which not only has a wheelchair basketball program, but a broadcasting program as well.

Craig wants to be a sports broadcaster and currently broadcasts games at Nokomis High School in Newport, where his mother teaches math.

“Craig loves sports, and loves to talk,” said Mrs. Popper.

She explained her son was born eight weeks prematurely. He has feeling in his legs, but his muscles get very tight and hurt. He can’t walk without his walker.

But that hasn’t lessened Craig’s motivation to play the sport he says he loves the most.

“It’s a fun game!” he said.