After I met my goal for this year, (2016-2017) I started hinting to the fact that I wanted to tell you something that my teammates on Junior Varsity, Varsity, and all my coaches at Weeki Wachee High School with the exception of Coach Bill Hughes, the JV Coach who received my sports application don't know.
Most people don't know that there are about 150 different types of Autism.
The type of Autism that I was diagnosed with is
Rett Syndrome is a rare severe neurological disorder that affects mostly girls. Babies with my diagnosis grow normally for the first year or so and then at around two years of age things start changing. They begin having trouble with their muscles and coordination, they stop talking and they can develop severe anxiety. There is no cure but there are treatments. The life expectancy of a person with Rett Syndrome has increased since I was originally diagnosed but at that time doctors told my parents that most girls live until around 35 years old. Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Medications and Mental Health Counseling along with the continued supervision by a Primary Care Physician and a Neurologist have all helped me to manage my condition.
I am very lucky that my case is "Atypical" because while I do have these problems, my case is not following the usual pattern of rapid decline, so my life expectancy is a lot longer than that of other girls with this disorder.
I've been playing basketball for five years now, but until this year I did not get a lot of playing time. I never told my story because I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me and there was never any reason for anyone to know. However, this year I feel like I really accomplished something and I want to share it. I hope to be an inspiration for another girl or boy with Autism or with any type of disability so that they can tell themselves, their families and their friends. She did it, and if she did it, I can do it too.
To get good at something takes dedication and practice. I get up in the morning and practice shooting before I start school. Then at 1:30 pm I leave for Weeki Wachee High School to practice with my team until around 4:00 pm. If the Varsity practice is still going when the JV practice ends I will join them until their practice is over and then stay in the Gym until they are ready to close it. After dinner, I'll go back outside to practice for a few hours. Then come in and watch the Golden State Warriors on TV when they have a game. I like Stephan Curry, because he is fearless, a great basketball player, an outspoken Christian and he has a lot of love for his family.
My life is really Eat, Basketball, School, Eat, Basketball, Sleep, Repeat.
You can find me in the gym on most Saturday's and I spent Christmas break in there too.
To those of you with a disability of any type that want to play basketball or any sport,
I'm not going to lie to you. It takes a lot of hard work. It will be harder for you than it will be for anyone else. People will make remarks about how you "Don't Talk" or "Aren't Social". They may make comments that you don't learn the plays as fast as you should, jump as high as you could, run as fast as some of your teammates, or complain that you don't make every basket you shoot. Take those comments and use them. Use them as fuel in your struggle to be the very best you can be and never quit, EVER.
I'll be hustling, working hard and perfecting my game and I hope you will too.
I'd love to hear all about your successes,
~ Sabrina
