14 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A team of Wichita high school juniors recently won a Mid-America Youth Basketball (MAYB) National Championship.
The Wichita Padres 16U squad is made up of Wichita juniors-to-be, along with top juniors from McPherson, Hutchinson, Emporia, and Andover Central. A week after winning the coveted national title, the 16U Padres, along with head coaches from across the Wichita area, put on a basketball clinic for young men and boys with Down Syndrome.
It’s a Saturday morning at Wichita Hoops, and members of the Wichita Padres are running their new friends through various basketball drills.
Wichita Padres 16U hosts inclusive clinic (KSN Photo)
“I like working with the kids. I do clinics, and sometimes we do Special Olympics tournaments in McPherson. It’s fun working with them. They’re so energetic and happy all the time. It’s just fun to be around,” said Gabe Pyle, a junior from McPherson.
This is the first time the Padres have hosted a unified basketball clinic.
“Everyone deserves a chance to play basketball. So, it’s fun seeing so much fun for them. It was also fun for all of us. They had so much fun playing,” said Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior Corbin Johnson.
“I’m sure it was fun for them, but it was also fun for all of us. It was a great time,” added Wichita Southeast product Collin Laws.
“It’s like, I don’t think there’s many opportunities for them to play basketball and have fun. So, for them and probably their parents too, it was a nice opportunity to get out of the house and feel welcome somewhere,” said Wichita Northwest guard Eli Benning.
Wichita Padres 16U hosts inclusive clinic (KSN Photo)
A week before this clinic, the Padres 16U team went undefeated in the MAYB national championship tournament, winning eight games in three days. The Padres beat teams from Kansas City, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, and Wichita on their way to winning the title.
“Oh, it’s a great achievement. You know, this is a great opportunity. Not very many teams get the opportunity to win. You know, and especially against that type of caliber of opponent,” said Head Coach Nate Kelly. “A lot of those kids don’t play in this type of tournament. They play in Arizona, Atlanta, all different types of cities. To have them come down (to Wichita), you get to compete against the best of the best. Nothing better you can ask for.”
“It was great. I’ve been wanting to win nationals ever since I was little, and I saw my brother win it when he was in sixth grade, and I was like six years old, something like that. I’ve always wanted to win it since,” said Pyle.
“It’s sunk in. It was really high because I’ve been playing since I was six, seven years old, and I had been wanting it. So, we came in. We won eight games in three days. That was pretty cool,” said Benning.
“I mean, on paper, they were supposed to blow us out. But I feel like we wanted it more, and we just had more team chemistry,” added Johnson.
The Padres trailed by four with two minutes left in the championship game. However, they hit their free throws down the stretch and won the final by five points.
Saturday’s inclusive clinic was such a success. Padres owner Tyler Keim says his organization plans to schedule two clinics per year from now on.