Lookout Mountain Teen’s Wheelchair Basketball Team Wins National Championship

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

Clara Stanfield has loved basketball for as long as she can remember, but this past season was the first time that she had the chance to compete on the court. The rising high school sophomore enjoyed being team manager at her school (Chattanooga Christian School), but she had never been able to play on the court during games. This is because Clara is in a wheelchair.

When Heather Stanfield was 24 weeks pregnant with her youngest daughter, the doctors diagnosed little Clara with spina bifida myelomeningocele, a severe permanently disabling birth defect.

The news was naturally a shock for the Lookout Mountain family, but Heather and Kevin learned to adjust to the new normal. Heather said, “When you hear that diagnosis, you don’t know what to expect. Your mind goes straight to a wheelchair. There are different degrees of mobility, but a wheelchair is all we really had a concept of at first. When Clara was born, we just dealt with things as they came.”

Stanfield walked with a walker for a short while in her early years, but the family knew it wasn’t feasible long term. Heather said, “The way she did it, she used her arms, and her little toes were just barely on the ground.” Stanfield added, “It didn’t build strength in my legs.”

So, at five years old, she transitioned to a wheelchair while attending Dade Elementary School. Her elementary school years had many bright spots but also challenges. Stanfield said, “At some points, I noticed I was different, but I was always popular. My wheelchair played a big part in that. I did get bullied, but it didn’t bother me too much.” Stanfield cited her parents’ wisdom as the key to keeping her grounded in the midst of bullying.

Physical activity has long been a part of Stanfield’s life. “I always wanted to be active because I never liked sitting still or knowing I could do something but not doing it,” she explained. She was a kindergarten cheerleader at Dade Elementary and learned horseback riding and swimming at a young age.

However, sports and recreational opportunities for people in wheelchairs aren’t readily available. Heather said, “You really have to seek them out. The organizations that offer opportunities are such a blessing, and they put in a lot of work.”

One of those organizations is SPARC (Sports, Arts, and Recreation of Chattanooga), a chapter of Move United. Through SPARC, Stanfield and other people with a variety of disabilities can try out activities like cycling, water skiing, and tennis.

Stanfield has long enjoyed pick-up basketball games even when she couldn’t play competitively, but this year, she not only got to play on the court with the Lakeshore Lakers; she also got to be part of a victorious season. For the third consecutive year, the team won the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) junior division varsity championship.

The Lakeshore Lakers are a co-ed team based in Birmingham, Ala., through the Lakeshore Foundation. This foundation offers a variety of sports for all ages. Because wheelchair sports aren’t available in every town or city, people like Stanfield travel from hours away to play at Lakeshore.

Stanfield had wanted to join the team for a while, but the distance was a barrier. Once their two older children were in college, Heather and Kevin were able to dedicate more time to traveling to Birmingham twice a week.

In the first week of April, the Stanfields traveled to Richmond, Va., for the national tournament. The team had already traveled for many small tournaments over the course of the season, so that aspect wasn’t unfamiliar for Stanfield. “But when we got there,” she said, “there were so many teams, and teams we hadn’t played yet. It was nerve-racking, but I also knew this was going to be fun.”

Stanfield described feeling confident during the first few games, but going into the final, she began to feel the nerves. She played in the games leading up to the final, but for the last game, she cheered on her team from the sidelines.

The Lakeshore Lakers secured the win against the Brooks Bullsharks, 60-52. “Everyone started crying,” recalled Stanfield. “I remember hugging my teammate Maddie and saying, ‘We did it! We did it!’”

Stanfield is looking forward to next season, but she’s also enjoying the off-season. She’ll miss the seniors who graduated, but she’s thankful for the ways they helped her improve as a player.

Stanfield is thankful for the Lakeshore Lakers’ family-like attitude. “The boys are like brothers, and the girls are like sisters. If we don’t get another championship, that’s okay, because it’s the community that matters.”

Stanfield plans to play on the team throughout high school. Her goal is to go on to play for the University of Alabama’s women’s wheelchair basketball team. The Crimson Tide is near and dear to her heart for a number of reasons, including a formative experience six years ago: In 2019, the Stanfields went to Tuscaloosa to watch Alabama play football, and it happened to be the day that the school celebrated its adaptive athletes. The family took photos with some of the athletes, and it was a big moment for Stanfield because she saw other people in wheelchairs accomplishing things that she wanted to do.

Five years later, at Stanfield’s first practice at Lakeshore, the family recognized a face from photos. As it turns out, Alabama alum Rashad Bennett is now Stanfield’s assistant coach at Lakeshore.

In Dade, Stanfield rarely sees other people in wheelchairs. “At Dade Elementary, I was the only one in a wheelchair, unless someone broke their leg and was in a wheelchair for a few weeks. It definitely used to affect me, being the only one.” Now, instead of feeling isolated, she feels proud of what she’s accomplished.

Heather said, “Wheelchair sports get rid of the isolation because you see that you’re not alone.” The Stanfields explained that even though everyone at Lakeshore has different disabilities and causes of those disabilities, they share an automatic understanding based on similar experiences.

The mother-daughter pair talked about the details of wheelchair basketball with the Sentinel. Even though it’s the same sport as stand-up basketball, it has a unique flair. Heather said, “Wheelchair basketball is surprisingly a contact sport. They crash into each other, and the chair becomes a tool in the game.”

Stanfield is particularly good at diving (i.e. ramming into opponents’ chairs to keep them from getting the pick), and she’s fast.

By playing at Lakeshore, Stanfield experienced God’s provision for her. “When I was a manager with my CCS team, it was fun, but I was still on the sidelines. Getting to play at Lakeshore gave me the chance to be in the game. God really did provide me with that.”

When asked what her encouragement to other people living with physical disabilities is, Stanfield said, “A lot of people get discouraged by themselves or other people saying they can’t do this or that. But you can do it. Don’t let yourself succumb to what you’ve been affected by, and don’t make it all of you. It’s just an extra side piece you have. People with disabilities aren’t what they have but what they choose to do with what they have.”

It took some time for Stanfield to reach this mindset. “I used to think of myself as ‘Clara with spina bifida,’ but now I think of myself as ‘Clara, who has spina bifida.’ Spina bifida isn’t me; it’s just one thing I have.”

She’s also learned the balance between independence and being able to ask for help. “A lot of people in wheelchairs don’t want to look weak because they feel like people already look down on them, but you’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t ask for help. We all help each other. At the same time, a lot of people think that people in wheelchairs will always be dependent on others. While there are definitely things that are hard, this world has gotten much better at adapting for people in wheelchairs.”

The Sentinel asked what Stanfield sees around Dade County that could be made more accessible. She said that many of the older buildings have small doorways and curbs that can be obstacles. She’s also been in buildings that are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) approved yet are difficult to navigate in a wheelchair. She said, “The main fix to that would be, when you’re building a building or sidewalk, ask someone in a wheelchair to come look at everything.”

Stanfield used to ask her parents, “Why did God choose me?” especially when she was being bullied. Now, she says, “He chose me because He knew I could take it. He didn’t choose me because He hates me. I am truly thankful to God for blessing me with spina bifida because otherwise, I would have never gotten to be a part of this big Lakeshore family.”

Smiling at her capable, energetic daughter, Heather adds, “He knew you would shine through it.”