BAKERSFIELD, CA -- For 8-year-old Jamaica Chamblee, Cerebral Palsy makes it hard for her to dribble a basketball.
"Because it affects just her left side of the body, anything that takes both sides is a little bit of a struggle for her like riding a bike," said her mother, Stacie Chamblee.
Despite her disability, she'll be able to play in games this Fall thanks to The League of Dreams.
"There's not a lot of programs that offer sports in particular for kids with special needs. Not a lot of exercising programs for these kids and we just want to make sure that they all have a chance to not only participate in something that normally they wouldn't get to but also to be able to be physically fit," said Executive Director Jessica Mathews.
On Saturday, the non-profit held tryouts to gear up for its 8th basketball season.
"The tryouts are basically for placement. Every child makes a team, we just want them to be in an appropriate division based off of their age and their ability level," said Mathews.
The season starts Sept. 28 and runs through Nov. 2 with games every Sunday afternoon.
"I've had parents come over crying and saying thank you for providing these programs because without it we wouldn't have anything. So it really isn't just about the athlete but it's about the entire family and the community that gets involved," said Mathews.
The League of Dreams will be holding another round of tryouts for this season sometime soon, but that date has not been announced. Once a date is set, it will be posted online at www.ourleagueofdreams.com
"Because it affects just her left side of the body, anything that takes both sides is a little bit of a struggle for her like riding a bike," said her mother, Stacie Chamblee.
Despite her disability, she'll be able to play in games this Fall thanks to The League of Dreams.
"There's not a lot of programs that offer sports in particular for kids with special needs. Not a lot of exercising programs for these kids and we just want to make sure that they all have a chance to not only participate in something that normally they wouldn't get to but also to be able to be physically fit," said Executive Director Jessica Mathews.
On Saturday, the non-profit held tryouts to gear up for its 8th basketball season.
"The tryouts are basically for placement. Every child makes a team, we just want them to be in an appropriate division based off of their age and their ability level," said Mathews.
The season starts Sept. 28 and runs through Nov. 2 with games every Sunday afternoon.
"I've had parents come over crying and saying thank you for providing these programs because without it we wouldn't have anything. So it really isn't just about the athlete but it's about the entire family and the community that gets involved," said Mathews.
The League of Dreams will be holding another round of tryouts for this season sometime soon, but that date has not been announced. Once a date is set, it will be posted online at www.ourleagueofdreams.com