You may think being 6’7″ with a giant wingspan and the ability to jump out of the gym would be Collin Clark’s superpowers. But Collin says he gets it from his super fans. They help him prep for every game.
“What should I do today in the game?” asked Collin, a senior on Greenwood’s boys basketball team, to his friends David Murray and Coby Brannan.
“Dunk.” said David.
“Anything else?” Collin asked. “What should I do besides dunk?”
“Shoot the three-pointers,” David added.
“That’s awesome,” said Coby.
Collin’s mom Natalie is a special education teacher in the Crane school district. She has taught both Coby and David, who have Down Syndrome. She Introduced Collin to Coby and David when they were very young. They’re now thick as thieves. “Show them the back of your hoodie,” said Collin, as the two turned to show off the words “Best Buddies #2 Go Jays!”
Natalie takes them to just about every game Collin plays. And they’re pumped to see him play for the Bears. “I can’t wait,” David said.
“I’m very excited,” Coby added. “I can’t wait.”
They’ll be there to provide the feedback Collin has come to rely on. And to give him a boost on the court. “David’s always the first one to be like, ‘You played bad,’ or ‘You played good.'” Collin said. “He’ll always tell me how many points I had or whatever. So it’s just important for them to be there. I feel like I play better when they’re there.”
And although Collin’s mom Natalie has been teaching Coby and David most of their lives., Coby and David have taught Collin something too. “People were a little shy to interact with them at first,” Collin said. “But now they’re starting to learn these kids are just like us. They just want to be included. So they’re very important to me. You know they’re my best friends since I was little so it means a lot that they’re considered my super fans.”
Being accepted for being themselves. It’s something they want Collin to do every time he steps on the court too. “Shoot a three get buckets,” Coby said, with a laugh.
Behind this bucket machine are two friends who help make him our Athlete of the Week.
