The spring high school sports season begins on April 3 at Brattleboro Union High School with the return of Unified basketball. The Colonels will host Burr & Burton for a 2:15 p.m. contest at the BUHS gym.
That starting time is significant, said returning coach Tyler Boone, for it allows the students and faculty to fill the gym to watch the game and gives the players a chance to do their thing in front of a big crowd.
Unified basketball, which is run through Special Olympics Vermont, is an all gender-inclusive program that pairs athletes who may have disabilities with partners that do not have disabilities. At any given time, there are three athletes on the floor with two partners. According to Vermont rules, the partners are not allowed to shoot the ball, leaving all the scoring opportunities for the athletes.
Unified sports have been well-supported by BUHS, so much so that the school was honored last fall by Special Olympics Vermont as a “National Unified Champion School.”
BUHS is one of only four schools in Vermont, and one of about 80 schools nationwide, to receive this honor from Special Olympics for its efforts to “provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities” and “for meeting national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect.”
Boone, who has coached the Unified basketball team for six seasons, said nearly all of last year's team has returned to play this season, along with several newcomers. He believes that all extra experience gained last season should improve the team's quality of play on both ends of the court. Erika Bassett is the team's assistant coach.
As of this week, the Colonels' roster for the April 3 opener looks like this: Gabe Raymond, Alana Bell, Thomas Bell, Jeffery White, Austin Pinette, Mario Day, Ashley Cleveland, Devon Rabideau, Timothy Galdamez, Silvia Galdamez, Marcella Galdamez, Joanie Tuttle, Evan Velez, Travis Chase, Jaymeson Crochetiere, Matthew Kingsbury, Shaeleigh Willard, Maren Sawyer, and Bobby Petrie.
Boone said the rest of the season's schedule is in flux as other schools around the state are still getting their programs together. So far, the Unified team has games scheduled on April 10 against Middlebury and May 1 against Hartford, but Boone expects there will be more games set for the rest of April.
Whitney, Normandeau earn All-State honors
• Brattleboro's Ava Whitney was recently named to the Division I girls' All-State Nordic ski team. Teammate Katherine Normandeau earned honorable mention.
Both skiers helped lead the Colonels to a sixth-place finish in the state meet this season, with Whitney finishing in the top 10 in both the classic and freestyle individual races. Both Whitney and Normandeau were also part of the Colonels' relay teams at the state meet.
Sign-ups begin for Rec. Dept. summer camps
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will be offering a variety of sports camps this summer. In-person registration for the camps starts this week, and takes place Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon, and 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St. Anyone interested may also register online at register1.vermontsystems.com/wbwsc/vtbrattleboro.wsc/splash.html.
• The baseball camp will be held at Living Memorial Park on the lower softball/baseball field. Session one of baseball camp is for ages six- to nine-years-old and will run from July 10-14. Session two of baseball camp is for ages 10- to 12-years-old and will run from July 17-21. Both sessions will run from 9 a.m. until noon. The fee is $130 for Brattleboro residents and $145 for non-residents.
• Coaches Jay Cudworth and Erin Cooke will be offering a youth softball camp from July 24-28 for participants in Grades 3-8. Softball camp will run from 9 a.m. until noon on the Living Memorial Park lower field. The fee is $130 for Brattleboro residents and $145 for non-residents.
• The “Hoop It Up” basketball camp, with Jay Cudworth and Todd Bell, will be held June 26-30. The fee is $130 for Brattleboro residents and $145 for non residents, and includes a t-shirt for each participant. The camp is for students entering grades 1-4 and runs from 9 a.m. until noon. For students entering grades 5-8, the camp will run from 1 to 4 p.m.
• Ed Powers will runs a tennis camp for those 11 to 18 years old this summer at the Brattleboro Union High School tennis courts. Week one of girls' tennis camp for ages 11-18 years old will be June 26-30, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Boys' tennis camp for ages 11-18 will be July 1-14, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Week two of girls tennis camp will be Aug. 7-11, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The fee is $150 for Brattleboro residents and $165 for non-residents.
• Gurudharm Khalsa will lead a pickleball camp for those in grades 4-8 at Living Memorial Park. The camp will be offered two different weeks July 17-21 and July 24-28 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The fee for the program is $50 per week for Brattleboro residents and $65 per week for non-residents. The camp will cover the basic fundamentals of pickleball play, learning the basic rules of the game for doubles play, and some elements of strategy.
• Instructors Michael Davern and Kristine Reilly will be running a mountain biking camp for those in grades 4-8 on Aug. 21-25 (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) from 5 to 7 p.m. Participants will meet at Living Memorial Park-Lower Parking Lot. The fee for this program is $60 for Brattleboro residents and $75 for non-residents. Participants must have their own bikes.
• Reily Mumpton will be offering a fencing camp for those ages 7-13 years old at the Gibson Aiken Center. Camp will be offered Aug. 7-11, Aug. 14-18, and Aug. 21-25. Participants will explore an introduction to Western Martial Arts and the forms of combat pursued and developed within Medieval Europe. Students will learn the basics of combat, self-defense, and a history of swordplay within medieval society. All three weeks of camp will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and the fees are $145 for Brattleboro residents and $160 for non-residents.
• The Rec. Dept. advises that many programs fill quickly, and program cancellations could occur if their minimum enrollment numbers have not been met. There is a surcharge of 3.5% on the total transaction amount on credit or debit card purchase. Full payment is due at the time of registration for each week a child is being registered for, unless approved by the Recreation & Parks Director.
If a participant needs to withdraw from a program/camp for any reason, written notice will be required no less than 9 days prior to the first day of each program/camp week start. An email to [email protected] will be considered written confirmation of cancellation. Cancellation for any reason will result in a $25 service fee.
In the event that the full payment is not made nine days prior to the start of any program/camp, the campers “spot” may be filled by another camper. For more information, call the Gibson-Aiken Center office at 802-254-5808.
Sports betting coming to Vermont?
• Vermont may soon become the latest state to legalize online sports betting. On March 24, the Vermont House passed a bill nearly unanimously. The bill now goes to the Vermont Senate for consideration.
According to VTDigger.org, Vermont would take at least 20% of the adjusted gross revenue that sports betting operators make in the state each year, with some of that revenue used to mitigate the sharp rise in problem gambling that officials expect would follow legalized bookmaking.
The state also would charge each company an annual operating fee that varies based on how many other companies are in the market here. If Vermont contracts with one operator, it would charge $550,000. But if there are six - the maximum allowed under the bill - each one would pay $125,000.
Gov. Phil Scott's proposed 2024 fiscal year budget estimated that the state would bring in $2.6 million through online sports betting. But the Legislature's Joint Fiscal Office estimated last week that after the House's tweaks to the bill - the state could expect to bring in just $2 million.
Vermont is a little late to the party - 33 states have legalized sports gambling, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island - and the $2 million annual revenue estimate might be a bit optimistic. But there is definitely a demand for betting on sports, and the state might as well get a piece of the estimated $60 billion annually that's legally wagered in the United States.
Senior bowling roundup
• In Week 10 of the winter/spring season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on March 23, The Markers (34.5-15.5) remained first place, while Slo Movers (30.5-19.5) is in second place, followed by Fab Four (30-20), The A-1's, The Strikers, and Split Happens (all 22-28), Trash-O-Matic (21-29) and 10 Pins (19-31).
Nancy Dalzell had the women's high handicap game (236), while Diane Cooke had the high handicap series (616). Robert Rigby had the men's high handicap game (268), while Warren Corriveau Sr. had the high handicap series (733). Split Happens had the high team handicap game (863) and series (2,485).
In scratch scoring, Corriveau led the men with a 700 series that featured games of 255, 232, and 213. Rigby had a 595 series that featured games of 267 and 200. Chuck Adams had a 555 series with a 215 game, while Marty Adams had a 544 series with a 194 game, and Skip Shine had a 516 series with a 190 game. Duane Schillemat had a 500 series.
Dalzell had the women's high scratch game (185), while Carol Gloski had scratch series (483). She also had a 171 game.