Austin basketball team fund-raises to play at National Championships, not letting obstacles stop them

ATX Abilities is trying to raise tens of thousands of dollars to travel to Richmond, Virginia for the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The doors are wide open to the gym at a local church. Inside, the sound echoes of players racing back and forth down the court reaching for the basketball or blocking a shot.

“Our team is 26 and 0, number one team in the country,” said Coach Tim Allen. 

They practice hard, the intensity shows on their faces, something big is on the line.

“We're heading to nationals in April coming up soon.”

To understand the challenge that awaits the team, Coach Allen explained how far they’ve come.

"Whether it's from an auto accident or whether it's a kid that lost a leg to cancer or someone that was born with spina bifida, there's a lot of reasons why we have kids that are playing this sport, they all have stories."

KXAN’s Sally Hernandez first reported Jah Tavarez’s story five years ago when a mysterious and rare disease called Acute Flaccid Myelitis, left him paralyzed.

Medical experts are still working to find out why and how the neurological condition seems to mostly target children and why some kids with it learn to walk again, and others, like Jah, do not.

During a Thursday night practice, Jah stopped for a moment to describe to us his position on the court. "So, you see the very first line? Yeah, that's where I am."

“Hi Jah! So good to see you again, how are you?” asked Sally. “Good!,” said Jah. “I heard you guys are really good at basketball,” said Sally.

Jah smiled and said “Yeah, really good.”

So good, ATX Abilities will compete at the national level, and "for the first time we get a basketball ring!" Jah said. "But we got to pay for it. But still!"

Before they can get that ring, ATX Abilities is trying to raise tens of thousands of dollars to travel to Richmond, Virginia for the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

A big goal considering just a few years ago, the team struggled to win a game.

“And now we're the team that's really beating teams and winning a lot of games. It's been a blessing to see the growth in the program over the past four or five years,” said Coach Allen, whose son also plays on the team.

“In 2019, my son and I were in an auto accident, which caused some paralysis for him. And that's how we got introduced to the sport.”

Coach Lee Brown started the program in Austin in 2017.

“My favorite part is actually seeing these kids when they first come in because they come in expecting something different,” said Coach Brown.

“They come in here expecting it's gonna be a play day. It's gonna be roll around, and some cheers, you know, this and that. And they come in here and they really find out the competitive nature. They get a new lease on life, their confidence goes up.”

The kind of confidence that carries off the basketball court, you hear it when Jah describes his athletics wheelchair versus his not-so-fast ‘other’ one.

"At school, I'm always in my other wheelchair and I wish so much that we can bring this one so I can show my friends how fast I am because I would smoke them while I'm in my other wheelchair."

The only thing slowing the team down is a big fundraising goal of $60,000.

”The more you donate the more places we can go," said Jah.

“Nationals is a very competitive environment. We want kids to develop on the basketball court, off the basketball court, but we are a competitive sports program. The goal is to win,” explained Coach Allen.

Two hours after the start of practice, the team formed a circle on the court.

They took time to go over what they did right. "I love it when we're all very active and we're passing the ball and stuff,” said Jah.

They also went over what they could do better.

"And, like, let's say someone is stuck, right?” said Jah. “They know that you're going to be there for them.”

And they cheer for each other and the team’s ability to take on any challenge.

Donations for the team's fundraiser can be made online.