Last Saturday, about 100 UCLA student-athletes came out to volunteer at Prime Time Games “Championship Saturday,” held on the North Athletic Field and in the Student Activities Center, to coach at-risk and special needs youth.
Created in 2001, Team Prime Time has organized regular season sports for both at-risk and special needs youth in Los Angeles. In 2009, head athletic performance coach Mike Linn introduced the program to UCLA.
A UCLA alumnus who later coached at his alma mater, Linn was forced to resign in 2001 when his 2-year-old daughter, Kylie, was diagnosed with autism and the family moved to Missouri to access better treatment. In 2008, as Kylie’s condition improved, Linn was ready to return to UCLA. Upon his reappointment, Linn requested the university to initiate an annual charitable program in which student-athletes help children with autism.
“It’s all volunteered. People are here because they want to be here,” said junior Danny McClintick, a men’s water polo player . “For everything UCLA and the community does for us, you know we are so lucky to be here, in an amazing part of the country and play at such a high level, it’s the least we can do.”
Participating in Championship Saturday for the second time, McClintick said it was a great opportunity for young adults like him to take on some responsibility with younger kids that need help.
“It’s the sixth year we held (Championship Saturday) at UCLA. The energy and support we’ve received from the UCLA student-athletes, this is the best day yet, “ said UCLA alumnus Peter Straus, founder and executive director of Team Prime Time.
According to Straus, UCLA is the only partner college to the program and most regular season games are held at various high schools and middle schools.
“But UCLA student-athletes participate year-round. They come to us,” Straus said. “Today we come to you.”
Steve Rosen, whose 14-year-old son, Benjamin, played basketball on Saturday, hailed the program for its unique inclusiveness.
“(It’s) always a good opportunity when you get kids with special needs to have fun with kids who’re typical,” Rosen said. “That idea is really rare. Usually kids with special needs only play with kids with special needs, so this is a very unique and special event. Unfortunately, it’s just once a year.”
Also watching the action on Saturday was former Los Angeles Laker and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer James Worthy. After watching the basketball games in the Student Activities Center, Worthy went around to say hello to the kids and their parents, and satisfy photo requests with a big smile on his face.
Worthy said he was introduced to Team Prime Time through a friend and has been to a few basketball practices,
“You know we all have had special needs at some point in our life,” Worthy said. “It’s an organization that I love. I love the spirit and I love the cohesiveness and the caring they show. And it’s a healing process. It just makes me feel good to be here.”
With the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games approaching, Straus said he’s looking forward to the event and the positive impact it will have on his own program.
“Having the World Games in Los Angeles is fantastic. It brings awareness. It invites participation,” Straus said. “And the hope is that once the games have finished, people who are connected to the World Games will look to find opportunities to remain involved, in this network of programs at work with special needs youth. We’ll be here to catch that interest. So we’re all excited.”