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Photo by Jim Craven Michellee Grogan and Eugene Glantz cheer after a teammate scores for the Salem-Keizer All-Stars against the Eugene Bears in Ashland Saturday. Grogan and Glantz are among the 1,000 Special Olympians in the Rogue Valley this weekend for the 1999 February Sports Classic. Special Olympics basketball in Ashland: It's faaantastic! BY KATHY MORGAN ASHLAND -- As basketball games go, this one isn't close. It's obvious from the beginning that the Beaverton Geckos are a superior team to the Spartan Raiders. But there is something special happening -- winning isn't important to the players. They're having fun. The Geckos and Raiders are among the 1,000 athletes participating in the Special Olympics Oregon's 1999 February Sports Classic this weekend in Ashland. The competition is for mentally retarded youngsters and adults. The tourney features traditional basketball, individual skills, team skills and Unified Sports, where folks without disabilities join the athletes in team play. It's early Saturday morning and games are already in progress at Southern Oregon University, Ashland High School and Ashland Middle School. Kathryn and Doug Collins of Corvallis sit on the sidelines at McNeal Pavilion on the SOU campus. They are rooting, sighing, laughing and cheering the underdog Raiders on. A special cheer goes out for No. 35 -- their 19-year-old son, Jeff. Jeff, who plays guard, isn't the most skilled player on the floor. But he is the only one who smiles through the entire game. "He isn't very competitive," Doug says. "But he loves this game." Jeff started playing in third grade. "At first he couldn't figure out how to dribble the ball or what to do with it," his mom says. "But now he knows what he's doing and he is so happy when he gets the ball." She credits Special Olympics for much of Jeff's progress in sports, his growth in self-esteem and his acquisition of life skills. Mom and Dad go to all his games, as do most of the parents. "It's a great organization," Kathryn says. "Just wonderful." She interrupts to cheer. Jeff has the ball. "Go Jeff," shouts coach Mike Robinson. He doesn't. The Raiders' coach just shrugs. "They want to do well," he says. "Our kids try hard." Robinson has coached Special Olympics for eight years. His son Matthew is one of the players. Right now, his team is behind. But the coach isn't discouraged about the the score. "It's not the most important thing," he says. "Win or lose, they are learning skills and having fun. In the end, they all win.'' Jeff takes a break. Although he is winded and has worked up a sweat, he still has the energy to smile. He says basketball is his favorite sport. "I'm having fun." His smile turns into a soft laugh. "I like this." Jeff and the other athletes get their days on the court courtesy of a group of dedicated volunteers working for Special Olympics. "None of the coaches are paid," says Donna Ayres, a coordinator for Emerald Valley Special Olympics. She brought 121 athletes and 27 coaches to this weekend's event. Almost all the counties in Oregon have athletes at the competition. And there are more than 100 coaches here. Ray Shimabuku is one of them. He also is the Benton County Volunteer Coordinator and has been with Special Olympics for 10 years. His day job is as a research biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency, but his first love is Special Olympics. "It becomes a passion," he says. Shimabuku coaches softball during the summer, junior basketball in the winter and keeps an eye on other volunteers all year long. Today, he is a spectator rooting for the Raiders. They have returned to the sidelines for a time-out strategy session. "Are we winning?" asks No. 10. "We're behind right now," says Robinson with a smile. "It's OK." "That's what Special Olympics is about," Shimabuku says. "Learning leadership and having compassion for all people." The players return to the game as the clock winds down. Final score: Geckos 48, Raiders 36. But nobody cares who won. "It was a good game," Jeff says as he high-fives another player. "I'm happy." The competition continues today beginning at 8 a.m. All events are free and open to the public. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA