Players with autism spectrum disorder of the Rincón de la Victoria Basketball Club, in the pavilion. /
South Corner
The two basketball teams in the municipality have twenty children with autism who train to improve their motor skills and socialization
The covered pavilion of the María del Mar Romera school and the outdoor courts of the Carmen Martín Gaite de Rincón la Victoria are the settings in which, twice a week, a group of twenty minors diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), demonstrate what they are capable of doing based on great efforts, patience and tenacity.
Hand in hand with their coaches and monitors, these champions manage to overcome themselves and jump new barriers every day, improving their coordination, motor skills and socialization. On the occasion of
World Autism Day, which was commemorated yesterdaySUR has chatted with those responsible for the three teams in the town of Rincón, two groups belonging to the Rincón de la Victoria Basketball Club and another to the Rincón Basket Club.
In the first case, the psychologist Blanca Repiso is the training coordinator, helped by Javier Tirado and Yuly Andrea. “We are not looking for them to learn to play basketball, to play a game, but we do want them to be able to master techniques such as bouncing the ball, jumping, differentiating colors, shapes, objects, things that they can then apply in their day-to-day life,” he explains. , while highlighting the “great evolution” that the two groups are having, both the ‘small-basket team’ Basket for Life, and the older ones. Leo, the twins Víctor and Mario, Oliver, Noa and Ángel are the true champions who excel in each session, aged between four and 13 years old.
When they finish, it is the turn of their older classmates, from 10 to 18. They are Hugo, Javi, Marcos, Gonzalo, Charly, Mateo and Javi. “Everyone has non-verbal autism, and those who are somewhat verbal do not have very functional communication, so it is complicated, each one is a world,” warns Repiso, who confesses that since he was in charge of the teams, at the beginning this year, after the departure of the previous coach, Angi Torres, “they are giving me life.” “Although they can’t tell you with words, just seeing their happy faces, when you see that they don’t want to leave training, is very satisfying,” she admits excitedly.
Complementary activities
This is the third season that the Rincón de la Victoria Basketball Club has teams with minors with TEA. The first two campaigns were very complicated by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the case of the Rincón Basket Club, it is the second campaign in which they have a team, made up of seven minors, Hugo, Hugo, Lucía, Luis, Nicolás, Nicolás and José, under the orders of Inma, Samantha and Cristina.
The entity’s vice president, Antonio Galindo, explains that in addition to the training sessions, they carry out activities of all kinds with these little ones with functional diversity. «The ‘diver’ team is one more for us, we have made trips on the tourist bus, through the mountains, by boat and to the painting studio of Manuel Rincón in Caleta de Vélez, for us integration with their colleagues is essential”, he affirms.
The corner players, in a coexistence snack this past week. /
Rincón Basket Club players, with Manolo Rincón in his painting studio in Caleta de Vélez. /
