Court of Dreams: ISU basketball teams with Beautiful Lives Project to create sports memories

Sep. 12—Bailey Halloran was burning it up on the basketball court. During a Saturday event at Indiana State University called Court of Dreams, the diminutive high schooler made a multitude of shots alongside members of the ISU men's basketball team and other participants on the Beautiful Lives Project, which provides memorable experiences to people with disabilities.

Today, participants were running drills and playing a game of basketball alongside the Sycamores. Asked to do a layup — which she had already done — she instead doubled back and made a 10-foot jumper and, later, a shot from the free throw line. Sycamore players were so impressed that when they formed a line for a mock introduction of the starting five, they chanted "MVP! MVP!" as she ran through the players.

The Beautiful Lives Project is the brainchild of co-founder Bryce Weiler, who is blind but was invited to sit on the bench alongside the University of Evansville Purple Aces from 2010-2014. He provided commentary for some games and shot free throws afterward, and helped create the Beautiful Lives Project after that experience.

Though blind, Weiler has an impressive awareness of his surroundings. Sitting courtside, he said, "I can tell that they're shooting. I can tell when they miss. And I can tell that that basket [the one closest to him] is kind of loose compared to that one [on the other end of the court]. I would hate to shoot on this one."

In addition to basketball, the Beautiful Lives Project has teamed up with Michigan State to introduce participants to football, with the Evansville Otters and Minnesota Twins to play baseball, and various cheerleading teams to perform at halftime. It also invites participants to explore a wide variety of art techniques. "We do a whole plethora of events," Weiler said.

Brett Putz, special assistant to ISU's men's basketball head coach Josh Shertz, led Saturday's event, where his players high-fived participants every time a kid put the ball in the hoop.

"One of the biggest things that Coach Shertz wants from our program — we talk about a built-for-life method with what we do for our players," Putz said. "And that's interacting and being involved with people of all different backgrounds and cultures, so this is a great experience for our guys to work with some kids from a different background and bring a little bit of happiness to their life.

"We have a good group of young men who understand that it's about more than just basketball," he added. "They understand the impact they can have on the community. Our guys probably have more fun with it than the kids participating."

Cameron Crawford, a sophomore Sycamore shooting guard, confirmed that: "I can speak for all of the guys on this roster that it's fun for us to get to share with them and see the joy on their faces."

Halloran, the whirling dervish on the court, has served as a team manager for her middle- and high-school basketball teams.

"I've been practicing the long shots," she said. "I always practiced so that maybe I could be a basketball player one day."

Taking the floor with the Sycamores, she said, "feels amazing because with all the players cheering me on with the long shots, it's awesome."

Sycamore junior guard Jayson Kent dished a number of his rebounds to Halloran. "Bailey, she's fun, man," he said. "She's a ball of energy. She's sweet. She always puts a smile on everybody's face. I'm just happy to meet her this year."

C.J. Whitehead also made quite the impression on the hardwood. He made myriad shots and played tenacious D, coming up with multiple rebounds and a couple of steals. He also sunk the game-winning shot.

"It's fun," he said, adding that ISU's athletes "were nice and it was good to play. I played basketball in middle school and I'm getting ready to play in high school." Whitehead also enjoys football and baseball.

Megan Whitehead, his stepmother, said, "He's always loved basketball and it was fun to see him get to play a sport with people that he can look up to on the ISU men's basketball team, which was absolutely awesome today. We thank them for holding this event for us."

Crawford and Kent, the ISU players, appreciated the chance to work and play alongside Beautiful Lives Project participants.

"It means a lot to share my love of the game and knowledge of the game with some others," Crawford said. "Seeing the joy on their faces was awesome. Everybody seemed happy to be here from the second they got in here. It's great to share the happiness this game brings."

"I take it has a blessing, being able to give back to the community and help these kids out," Kent said. "It was fun playing with them — I got to know them; they're a bunch of fun kids to play with."

It was a welcome respite from the intense focus players bring to practices.

"In practice, we're definitely in a different zone," Crawford said, "but outside of practice, we can definitely have some fun with basketball and loosen up and not be so strict with everything. This was a perfect opportunity for that."

Surprisingly, despite the joy he sows through his programs, Weiler doesn't receive that much feedback.

"My participants don't talk to me," he said. "The parents sometimes talk to me. But everyone who gets to take part really enjoys it. I haven't had a complaint in four years."

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.