The kids beat the police in wheelchair basketball and it was all in good fun for a good cause

By Sally Tippett Rain

Thursday night the Vianney Basketball gym was packed;  Golden Griffins head coach Kevin Walsh was there as were the players, but they were not the center of attention—the enthusiastic and loud crowd was not cheering for players running up and down the court; the cheers were for players rolling up and down the court.

It was the annual “Rolling Rams” vs. the St. Louis County Police Department, (SLCPD )or as the scoreboard said it was the Rams vs. the Cops.

This game puts youth sports in perspective. While every day parents put their kids on multiple teams with practices and often send them to extra lessons– many of the kids on the Rolling Rams are unable to walk and just playing on a team is about the most exciting thing they can imagine.

The organization DASA put on the event.  TheDisabled Athlete Sports Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the Greater St. Louis area, headquartered in St. Peters that provides adaptive sports, fitness, and recreational programs for children and adults with physical disabilities

The Rolling Rams beat the Cops by the score of 30-22. It was a close game most of the way but the Rams broke it open in the fourth quarter.

The following kids scored: Liam Niemira, Andrew Bryson, Grady Dudenhoeffer, Luke Freeman, Kaylee Brischle, and Cally Campbell (all of them are on varsity, except for Cally who is on prep.)

They were playing on a 10-foot goal, which is varsity height– the same height as a regular basketball goal. There are two levels of DASA basketball, the varsity and prep.

Rob Niemira, whose son Liam has been on the team for 10 years, started this fundraiser 10 years ago. This is the eighth game. They had to take off a couple years because of Covid, but have been going strong ever since. Niemira was interviewed on Channel Four, CLICK HERE.

It was clear watching Liam that he loves the game and he was a very aggressive and confident player. He has been playing on the team the whole 10 years and will go to Vianney next year as a freshman.

Liam was on FOX 2 this week, to watch that, CLICK HERE.

The parents and friends gathered to watch the game were as enthusiastic to see  one of the wheelchair kids hit a basket as a parent watching their child win a championship. The gym was full, though some of these photos don’t look like it. Many of them were taken before the game.

Many of the players scored baskets, including Cally Campbell.

“Cally was diagnosed in May 2024 with osteosarcoma in her right tibia at the age of eight,” said her mother Kacie Campbell who serves as the team manager. “She had an amputation in August 2024.”

Cally Campbell, a fifth grader, normally walks with her prosthetic leg, but organized sports would be difficult so she is grateful for DASA so she can play sports. The smile on her face throughout the whole event said it all. You could tell she feels free on the basketball court with her friends and despite being one of the younger players she got right in there and scored a basket.

As with Cally  not all of the kids have to use a chair permanently, but in order to be on the team, they do have to have a permanent disability in their lower extremities. There are kids on the team who use their chairs full-time and some who use them part of the time.

“For more than a quarter century, DASA athletes have proven that nobody is truly disabled,” said Kelly Kannel, DASA Founder and Executive Director, “We’re all ‘able’ – we just have different abilities. I am so proud of them and thankful to everyone who supports these amazing athletes through their support of DASA.”

DASA operates the Rolling Rams, competitive wheelchair basketball team, which compete regionally and nationally.  They are the only wheelchair basketball organization for special needs children in the Greater St. Louis Area.

They use a special wheelchair that is designed so it won’t tip over. The large wheels are removable and at times players would take off one or both of their wheels before the game. The wheels helped them spin quickly around. It seemed like the kids got a kick out of gently ramming their opponents, much like a hockey player checks their opponents. The foul rules were fairly loose and the referee just let the kids play.

The families find out about DASA through their medical team.

“The physical therapist at Children’s (Hospital)  told us about DASA,” said Kacie Campbell. “And then a fellow parent at Cally’s school told us about the Rolling Rams basketball team. Cally told us she would give it a try and has absolutely fallen in love with this sport and this incredible team

The Police who participated in the event which served as a fundraiser for DASA are not injured. They can all walk, but for one night they came out and played with the kids. Most of the kids are used to being in a wheelchair and practicing each week strengthening their arms, and though the police players were all in great shape, one could see them tiring as the game went on.

They did not show any sympathy for the kids, scoring baskets when they could. They played a much tighter game than the final score showed. For the first half the two teams were either tied or taking turns with the lead, but as it went on, the kids seemed to build up ore enthusiasm and move faster. The Rams went on a long run and ended up beating their opponents– who were all good sports about it.

The County Police posted on their social media: “What a game! The St. Louis Rolling Rams kept their winning streak alive, defeating the St. Louis County Police officers in a thriller, 30–22!

“Our officers tried hard, but the Rams proved once again why they are unstoppable on the court. The cops are already looking forward to next year’s rematch!”

Those who were playing from the St. Louis County Police Department did not just play—they presented a check and said they would help cover costs and expenses for the team.  Officer Dave Meyer presented the check.

The game consisted of four quarters, each ten minutes, with subs coming in after five minutes.

When it started, both teams were introduced. The SLCPD team stood in a line and as each Rolling Rams player’s name was called they started at one end and fist bumped with each officer.

Vianney Coach Kevin Walsh sat at the scorer’s table next to the announcer and engaged in the evening.

Walsh, the longtime basketball coach, who can get intense in his own teams games was joking and smiling and really seemed to be enjoying the game and watching the kids.

His players came out and helped with a special fundraising part where people could pay $1 and try to hit a basket from a wheelchair. We did not see anyone make a basket. It is a lot harder than one would think as the player does not have the use of their legs to push off or dance around the defense; you have to have a lot of strength to make a basket from sitting still.

To most parents, watching their kids on a basketball team or any sports team is just a right of passage, something they do because they know their children like it, but to these parents it is much more than that. With the DASA team, they all support each other really well.

Both of Callly’s parents volunteer.

“It’s a privilege to volunteer as much as we can,” said Kacie “We hold 5-6 fundraisers a year at various high schools around the area. We know how important these are. I serve as the Team Manager for the prep team. My husband Rodney is the volunteer extraordinaire. He loves to show up and help wherever is needed.”

On this night he was selling pizzas in the concession stand.

The kids who play on the DASA basketball team may feel different than the other kids when they out in public or  at their school, but when they are with their teammates they feel like they belong, like a regular member of the team.

“For Cally, it also means a space where she isn’t all that different from everyone else,” said her mother.

And not feeling different makes all the difference in the world.

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DASA offers other experiences and teams including tennis, golf, archery and air rifle.

They also do fundraisers at other local schools. Scheduled so far are: Pattonville HS, Fort Zumwalt East HS, and Rockwood Summit HS. They generally go to the schools that the kids attend.

For information on DASA:

Phone: 636-477-0716.  Email: dasa@dasasports.org.   Website: DASA Sports Official Website