Alternative schools experience March Madness

March offers the exciting spectacle of high school and college basketball players testing their skills at the highest level of competition.

But what about those athletes whose off-court issues keep them out of the academic - and athletic - mainstream?

Some got their own taste of March Madness this weekend through the Chicago Area Alternative Education League's 37th annual CAAEL State Basketball Tournament & Art Fair, held at Forest View Education Center in Arlington Heights.

Teams of junior high and high school students from 25 schools took part in competition in four high school divisions and one junior high division. The students have been placed in alternative schools because of behavioral issues, truancy and learning disabilities.

CAAEL Executive Director John Martin, the event's guiding force since he founded it in 1976, said that during one of the league's early tournaments, facilities were so lacking that a basket needed to be built from the ground up because of a hoop shortage. Today, CAAEL provides services to more than 100,000 students across the region.

"A lot of these kids have never had the opportunity to be part of a team," Martin said.

Those viewing the action from the bleachers Sunday watched highly competitive basketball, with players diving for loose balls, attempting risky passes and taking some hard fouls.

But they also saw impressive displays of sportsmanship - with players taking a breather going to the other team's bench first to deliver high-fives, and teams standing in a circle after the game to acknowledge opponents with sportsmanship ribbons.

Sportsmanship is emphasized more than wins and losses. In fact, the biggest trophies are handed out for sportsmanship.

"We have kids (who) realize that it's about something bigger than what the scoreboard says," said Kristin Stermin, coach of the S.E.A.L. (School of Expressive Arts and Learning) South Sonics junior high team based in Romeoville.

The students have a powerful incentive in place to display those values - playing time.

"They need to maintain grades, maintain appropriate behaviors in the classroom, in therapeutic groups, in lunch, to earn their way to basketball practice and games," said Katie Dobry, coach of the S.E.A.L. North Sabres junior high team from Lombard, which draws students from suburban communities including Schaumburg, Palatine and Wheaton.

Desire and sportsmanship, rather than skill, are the determining factors in playing time.

"We could have the greatest athlete in the world. But if he's showboating and not being a good teammate, he doesn't come with us to basketball," Dobry said.

In the case of Josh Browning, a 14-year-old member of the Sabres from Wheaton, spectators saw a combination of skill and sportsmanship.

During a matchup between the Sonics and the Sabres, won by the Sonics in overtime, Josh was busy on both sides of the court, at one point tipping away the ball from an opponent and driving all the way to the basket for a layup. But he also went out of his way to support his teammates.

Josh said he was sent to the S.E.A.L. school because he was into fighting. Back then, he said, playing sports was all about winning.

"They have helped me learn that eventually, it's not just winning," he said. "I'm getting better about involving my team."

Michael Schack, executive director of Joseph Academy in Des Plaines, appreciates the opportunities provided by CAAEL.

"This organization, CAAEL, is a powerhouse for the Chicago area, to give children that are marginalized and have challenges in their lives tremendous opportunities," he said.