Like many of her Rising Sun High School classmates, Samantha McMinn grew up playing sports with aspirations of becoming a college athlete. McMinn has achieved that objective. McMinn a RSHS senior, earned a scholarship to play wheelchair basketball at The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona is one of the top wheelchair basketball programs in the nation and captured the National Wheelchair Basketball Association title in 2012 and 2014. Wildcats coach Jenn Poist has Maryland ties and is familiar with McMinn's club team, the Bennett Blazers. McMinn visited the Tucson school last summer. "They really wanted me and I loved the overall adaptive sports program, the coach, and the campus," McMinn said. "It seemed like the best fit academically and athletically." McMinn was born with cerebral palsy after a premature birth and bleeding in her brain. It has not slowed her down. McMinn began participating in athletics at the age of six. "My brother (Brandon) was involved in sports and I liked watching him play," she said. "I knew I wanted to get into sports." McMinn travels most weekends to Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, which is home to the Bennett Blazers organization. "It's a lot of miles to put on the car, but completely worth it," McMinn said. "My sports teams are like a family. If I don't have it on a weekend, I don't know what to do with myself." She is grateful to her parents Keith and Sandy McMinn, who transported Samantha to Baltimore before she was old enough to drive. At Kennedy Krieger, McMinn also participated in swimming and track and played sled hockey, but says basketball has always been her specialty. She has honed her skills under the tutelage of Blazers coaches Gerry and Gwena Herman. "My coaches inspire me to work as hard as I can to become a college athlete," McMinn said. "I wouldn't be where I am without my coaches. They have set a solid foundation for me." On the court, McMinn enjoys doing the little things that help teams win games. "My best thing is defense," she said. "I do everything I can to help the team, setting picks, defense, shooting." McMinn is working to improve her offensive production but still manages to average about seven points a game. During the middle of her junior year, McMinn started realizing she has the ability to compete at the next level. In addition to the Blazers, McMinn attends basketball camps over the summer. At Rising Sun High, McMinn is a member of the National Honor Society, sings in the choir, and serves as manager for the girls varsity basketball team. Her classmates cheer her accomplishments. "They think it's an awesome thing," said McMinn. "They are very proud. Everyone at Rising Sun is very sweet to me. My friends are very excited for me." Naturally, McMinn has a few reservations about attending college 2,000 miles from Rising Sun. "I definitely have moments where I'm worried about being so far away from home," said McMinn, who can also walk with the aid of crutches. "But I truly do want to play at a high level college. It's a wonderful school and I'm confident I will feel comfortable there." She is unsure of a college major but knows she wants to work with children in some capacity, as a coach or in other ways including social work or healthcare. "I want to inspire other kids with disabilities and share the opportunities that are out there, including playing sports," McMinn said. "Sports have changed my life a lot. I want them to have the same opportunities. I want to tell them not to let their disability define them and overcome any challenges they face." Comments are closed.
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