Soap Lake teenager excels in basketball

SOAP LAKE - Veronica Smith, 15, Soap Lake, commands the basketball court during a practice at Columbia Basin Secondary School in Moses Lake Thursday night.

She has no qualms getting in her opponent's face and screaming, "Ball, ball, ball, ball, ball!," as a distraction, and it works in her favor. Smith runs up and down the court dribbling, passing, stealing the ball and making several successful two-pointers.

She says her favorite sport is basketball, the smile on her face is evident as she practices.

Smith participates in the sport through the Moses Lake Special Olympics program.

"It's really fun," she says. "I like basketball a lot."

Smith said she's met a lot of new people through the program and has made several new friends.

She practices Tuesday and Thursday nights for a couple hours each time. The program is in its fourth week of practice.

Veronica Smith's mother, Karen Smith, attends all her practices. She said the program is helpful. Her daughter has cerebral palsy, which causes muscle tissue to grow slower than her bones are growing.

Karen Smith said the constant exercise and stretching through basketball may prevent a future corrective surgery or reduce the extent of the surgery for her daughter.

"Tonight is just like an explosion (of encouragement)," Karen Smith said about the Thursday practice.

Constant words of encouragement and compliments are hollered from the coaches and teammates.

Basketball Coach Rick Ramos spends the majority of his coaching time with the older, most advanced athletes. He said he keeps them on their feet to learn their capabilities.

Once he learns what his athletes are capable of, he helps them improve. Ramos said there is constant improvement among the athletes.

He said the number of people in the program is increasing. At the Thursday night practice there were approximately 30 participants, several coaches, volunteers and many parents watching from the bleachers.

This basketball season is the first season Veronica Smith participated in the program. She said although she enjoys basketball, she is considering focusing her energy on cheer-leading next year.

Karen Smith is the cheer coach at Soap Lake High School. In the past, her daughter has helped with management of the team.

A good word to describe Veronica Smith might be "busy," she confirms.

In addition to basketball, she is learning American Sign Language through a class and a club, and plays competitive softball. She signed carols at the Soap Lake Winterfest celebration and signed a song in a veteran-related school assembly earlier this year.

The Special Olympics program is sponsored by the Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Department. For more information about the program contact Recreation Supervisor Susan Schweisow at 509-766-3603.