Team manager living with autism gets to play, shoot in game

Mountain View Neighborhood– Christopher Brothers, a seventh-grader from Wy’east Middle School living with autism had an exciting night when he took to the basketball court with his fellow Wy’east Warriors and defeated their opponent, Cascade Middle School. His mother, Angela, said that Christopher has loved sports, and basketball specifically for most of his life. He has played baseball with the Vancouver Miracle League for the past six years, but his mom said that playing basketball on a team had gotten too intense for him. With him still wanting to be part of the team, Angela Brothers thought her son could benefit from helping the team out in other ways, so Christopher became the seventh-grade boys team’s manager. His dedication to the team was apparent from the outset. “He got up early every morning at 5:30 a.m. to be at Wy’east Middle School at six for practices before school,” his mom said. “He went to every game, sat next to coach Hanson, cheered and clapped for his team, stood up with the team at time outs, and went into the locker room with them at half time.” Christopher’s hard work was rewarded when coach Hanson decided to put Christopher in a game two weeks ago. He went in twice, once right before halftime, and once at the end of the game. He scored four points, and when he made his first basket, his mother said the whole gym erupted in applause. “Everyone was chanting, ‘Christopher, Christopher,’ and he gave a fist pump to the crowd,” Angela Brothers said. “It was the proudest moment for both my husband and myself.” Members of both teams, as well as coaches and referees, made sure to congratulate Christopher on the win after the game was over.