On and off the basketball court, Ally Frame has evolved into quite a leader.
“I think the great thing about Ally is she is a great example of what we’ve seen in terms of her growth as an athlete,” said Shena Mouring, a coach in Sumner School District’s Special Olympics basketball program.
Frame, 19, joined the team when she was in junior high school seven years ago. She graduated from Bonney Lake High in 2010 and still participates on the team through the district’s Community Transition Program, which serves students who have special needs.
Frame has been diagnosed as having a mild mental disability.
“The program helps her to learn at her level,” said Frame’s mother, Pennie. “Ally has really strong leadership roles. When you first meet her, she can be shy. But once she knows the routine, she can pick up her own.”
Mouring said Frame was very reluctant to compete in the state basketball tournament five years ago.
“Now, she has gone all the way to the other end of the spectrum,” Mouring said. “Now she’s a team leader. She realizes the importance of all aspects of the game, including the fitness part of it. She’s used Special Olympics as a motivator to stay physically fit.”
Frame said she has lost more than 30 pounds during the past year, and it’s largely due to her time out on the court.
In addition to basketball, the Special Olympics program district-wide caters to students interested in track, bowling and swimming.
“Our biggest goal is to ensure that the students understand it’s more about giving your best effort and being a good teammate than it is about winning, and that translates to other parts of life,” Mouring said.
Basketball has the most active community support of any of the programs, Mouring said.
“We hold wonderful events, like Pack the Gym, at our two schools,” she said. “We have a very large student and staff fan base. Cheerleaders and other city youth sport programs are there, and we pack the gyms.”
Pack the Gym took place last Wednesday at Sumner High. The next event will be at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 29 at Bonney Lake High School.
The basketball team combines students from both Bonney Lake and Sumner high schools. The Sumner team also participates in a Pack the Gym event at Rogers High in Puyallup.
“The amount of growth we’ve seen from these students year to year is amazing,” Mouring said.
Two years ago, the team placed second at the state competition in Wenatchee. Frame was very excited about that accomplishment. She hopes to land a part-time retail job in the near future.
As for basketball, she hopes she can return some day as a volunteer coach.
Reach Sumner reporter Andrew Fickes at 253-841-2481 Ext. 313 or email at andrew.fickes@puyallupherald.com.
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