Deaflympic Dreams for young Gator
At just 13, Altona resident Shane Crick is preparing for one of the greatest opportunities in his young life, to try out for selection for the Australian basketball team’s 2009 Deaflympics campaign.
Crick’s talent was spotted by selectors last month when he participated in the National Deaf Basketball Championships in Brisbane, with Melbourne City club who won the event. Prior to competition, he had registered his interest in playing in the Deaflympics Open Men’s team, which has long been his dream.
“I am excited and proud of what I have achieved, especially at the age of 13,” said Crick who was born with a severe to profound hearing loss (up to 80%).
“I have always wanted to play in the Deaf Australia team. Playing with the Melbourne City team was really great as well. I’ve met new friends and do enjoy playing Deaf basketball.
“When I play with the deaf team, we have to take out our hearing aids, so we don’t hear anything. When playing it’s much quieter than when playing with the hearing team because there isn’t any noise (voice). It’s fun to try something different that I have never done before.
“I enjoy playing with deaf people because they have fun but take the games and training seriously. I enjoy playing with the men because they have played basketball longer than I have so they know more about basketball than I do and they help me improve on things. Plus in the men’s games it’s tougher, faster and I love playing at that level. It helps toughen me up!”
Already a promising player in mainstream basketball and recipient of the Rising Star award with local club, the Altona Gators, Crick has also been identified as a talent potential by Basketball Victoria, previously invited to participate in a talent identification and development program.
He has participated in Deaf Basketball Victoria’s Junior Development program over the past couple of years, at which time he was spotted by Melbourne City.
“During this time, Shane has demonstrated his prodigious skills and maturity beyond his age,” said Melbourne City coach Wesley Brockett.
“On a number of occasions, we have approached Shane’s father Rod about the possibility of Shane joining our team to compete in the National Deaf Basketball Championships. Due to his age and commitments to Altona Gators and schooling, we were unsuccessful. However with the Deaflympics around the corner (September 2009), both Shane and Rod decided to join Melbourne City.”
The average age of Melbourne City players is around 25, with Crick the youngest player. Despite the age difference, Crick was able to mix it with the big boys.
“He made an enormous contribution towards Melbourne City’s triumph at the Champs,” said coach Brockett.
“His ability to do something with the ball and his ability to get the ball was particularly outstanding. He hassled hard in our full court press and man-on-man defense to create traps and steals. He pulled down vital rebounds and he scored when we needed him to score. Shane’s a ball magnet and he instilled confidence into our team thanks to his self-belief in his game.
“From a coach’s perspective, I thought Shane handled himself with aplomb. Obviously he had to deal with opposition who were taller and physically stronger than what he’s accustomed to. Because of this he had to play outside his natural position (as centre) and more so as an attacking guard for Melbourne City.
“Deaf Basketball Australia generally considers players at Shane’s age as a Development Player. In Shane’s case, he is a lot more advanced in terms of skills and basketball smarts. His attitude on court and his willingness to improve his game will help his chance to make the final National team selection. At the Champs in Brisbane, I have thrown Shane some challenges and he conquered them.
“The thing that will eventually go in Shane’s favour in the future is no doubt his never-ending growth in height and shoes. He’s 13 years of age, 184cm and wearing size 14 shoes….he’s a monster and it’s already a scary thought how tall Shane will be in several years time,” said Brockett.
If he makes the final selections for the Australian Deaflympics team, Crick is confident that he can hold his own with the men, and sees his speed and his ability to read the game as his strengths, sentiments echoed by Brockett.
“There is always room for improvement and I have no doubt Shane has the desire to improve all facets of his game. While he has the fundamental skills, it’s probably the time for him to step up to another level. He may be a natural centre or power forward in his Gators team, as evident by his post-up positions and rebounding abilities, perhaps now is a good time for him to work on his ball-handling skills if he is to play against taller, stronger opposition. Ball-handling is commonly known to give basketballers a psychological edge by outsmarting opponents through manoeuvring and precision. Shane will be extremely dangerous if he masters this with both sides of his body.
“There’s no doubt that Shane has put himself in a great position, basketball wise. While playing for us in Brisbane recently, Shane was exposed to bigger, stronger players who had some international deaf basketball experience. This experience for him will give him an instant advantage over his hearing counterparts,” said Brockett.
“The standards of deaf basketball in Australia compared to international events are worlds apart. If Shane is to make the final team to compete in the Deaflympics in Taipei next year, he will be playing against some professional deaf basketballers. This type of exposure for Shane at such a young age will assist his game in years to come.
“Time will tell, however I believe he’s a star in the making if he’s willing to do the hard yards.”
