These athletes are ready to prove a point. They are the Shoreline Spartans basketball team and they give one player the credit for bringing them all together: Spencer Freidman.
"I used to play for recreation leagues and I was bullied," said Freidman, “People used to say I was retarded and wouldn’t amount to nothing and wouldn’t have any chance whatsoever. So, I figured why don't I get into this league, recruit and improve the people. Disabled can play just as well as anyone else."
Their team was in in the afternoon round of games at the Special Olympics Washington Sub Regional Tournament in Issaquah Sunday.
"We all have our quirks and we all have our own unique styles and stuff,” said fellow athlete Mike Walker. "It's a style that's as much about community as it is about skill."
The immediate goal is to make it to the next round. But there are long term goals for the team, too.
"Each of us comes with our own different story and my job is to find players and get to them to their ability to show the world that these guys can play just as much as anywhere else,” said Freidman, "I wish some people would have an open mind. I enjoy the sport but I also play to prove a point that there are others out there that have disabilities that are great."
