Lothian Phoenix are on a high this month, for they have just gained promotion to the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association's Division 1 (North) league.

With the team enjoying its best year since it formed in 2006, a young player has emerged as their leading goal scorer. 

Edinburgh-17-year old, Steven Ross, who took up the sport less than two years ago, scored 17 points to help Phoenix beat Manchester Mavericks 51-28 in March, top scoring for his team in the process.

“Our coach said we all needed to score four more points than normal and we would win the game,” said Steven, whose average game score this season has been six.  “I was mentally prepared because I knew we were missing our best player so I stepped up.”

Steven has made dramatic improvements in the game he started just 18 months ago, following an operation for a tumour on his spine which left him paralysed below his waist. 

In his previous sporting life he had been a keen football player, as a goalie.  His has been able to channel well developed hand eye coordination into basketball although his transfer into the sport was anything but smooth.

“The first time he came to training, the guys made him feel so welcome and I thought he had the potential to be one of the most talented players I had ever seen, but he didn’t come back because he felt he was out of his depth,” said Stevie Duff, Phoenix’s coach and assistant coach to the GB junior team.

Steven remembers thinking the team “were amazing but I felt rubbish, like I was slowing them down.”  But after working with an Active Schools Co-ordinator and Stevie Duff’s assistant to help him master his wheelchair skills, he was persuaded to return.  Second time around he loves the game and has “never looked back.” 

“Fortunately for us the Active Schools Co-ordinator for Edinburgh, Dave Rhoney, has a remit for children with disabilities and he worked with Steven on a one to one basis to make him more confident in his wheelchair,” said coach, Stevie.

“He showed him how to push it quickly and efficiently, which went a long way to improving his confidence in the chair.  We got my assistant coach, Gary Smith, working with him on a one to one basis to master some of the fundamental skills of the game.  His second time back he has just blossomed.” 

Since returning Steven’s improvement has been remarkable, and matched by the progress of Phoenix.  Last season, during one of the team’s play off’s for Divsion 2, the GB junior coach spotted Steven and after the game invited him to his squad training.

This year everything has progressed to the next level and Steven is Scotland’s hottest young prospects.  “I was playing for my team and it was going well then suddenly it all happened,” said Steven.

He has just been selected for the GB junior team.  Last week, the British team’s coach, the hard talking Australian, Murray Treseder, came to Scotland to give Steven one to one coaching

“Everyone was really nervous because he’s the head man and we were expecting him to go mental, but he’s a nice guy,” said Steven.  “He and Stevie were working together and planning stuff I can do in the long term.” 

Further support resulted in his recent fast tracking by Scottish Disability Sport into the East of Scotland Institute of Sport (ESIS) as the Area Institute network’s first wheelchair basketballer.  The support package gives Steven one to one coaching with Stevie Duff and basketballscotland’s 2012 Coordinator, Trudie Hopgood. 

The ESIS team is, amongst other things, working with Steven to develop his Strength & Conditioning programme.

“He has a great support package and compared to his peers in the GB junior squad, the input he is getting from ESIS is far superior,” said Stevie Dunn.   “The Strength & Conditioning training will be very significant for him and the basketball-specific input will help greatly.
 
“My main goal is to make the Paralympics and get the gold medal,” he said.  “I feel I’m really privileged that everyone is working for me to make it there and I want to give it my all.”

RE-J
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