Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2014
Jon D’Arpino
Office of Communications
860-509-3663
jdarpino@crec.org
Professional Wheelchair Basketball Player
Visits CREC Montessori Magnet School
(Hartford, CT) On June 10 and June 17, upper elementary students at CREC’s Montessori Magnet School enjoyed
visits from Ryan Martin, a Connecticut native and international professional wheelchair basketball player.
A 33-year-old from Somers, CT, Ryan Martin’s career has led him halfway across the world to Spain where he has
played for the last six years for the CID Casa Murcia Getafe team. Martin was born with Spina Bifida and had his
legs amputated when he was two years old. Several years ago, he founded the Ryan Martin Foundation, a nonprofit
group that assists individuals with disabilities. Because of the positive impact adaptive sports have had on his life,
Martin shares his passion for sports and life with others in the offseason by running basketball camps for children
with disabilities and speaking to students of all ages about adaptive sports and facing life’s obstacles in order to
succeed.
At the CREC Montessori Magnet School, Martin enjoyed lunch with sixth grade students in the courtyard and then
met with all of the upper elementary students in the gymnasium. He captivated the students with his presentation,
which included stories of his childhood challenges and current career successes, encouraging the students to
persevere toward their goals.
On June 17, Martin returned to the school to referee a student-staff basketball game organized by students Benicio
Calderon, Yadiel Febres, Chace Petgrave, and Quashan Stanford. Martin was accompanied by fellow adaptive
sports athlete Carlos Quiles, captain of the Connecticut Spokebenders wheelchair basketball team, which is based at
the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain.
“Organizing the game was difficult because we had to go around and talk to teachers and students to ask them to
play,” said Yadiel Febres, a sixth grade student at the CREC Montessori Magnet School. Yet, the enthusiasm of the
CREC Montessori Magnet School students was remarkable to Martin, who he said, “played with as much
enthusiasm as the members of my professional team!”
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The CREC Montessori Magnet School offers a traditional, public Montessori education as inspired by Dr. Maria
Montessori. With its well-recognized early childhood and elementary program, the school’s Montessori philosophy of
individualizing instruction for all children attracts students from across Greater Hartford. Students’ progress academically
and socially through an integrated curriculum that combines the Montessori pedagogy with highly effective instructional
strategies. Lessons that focus on interdisciplinary and global connections allow students to learn at their own pace, and
expand their knowledge beyond the school environment and into the greater classroom-the world.
Capitol Region Education Council
www.crec.org
The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has
developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and
adults in the region. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than
150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 19 interdistrict magnet
schools. More information about CREC or CREC’s award-winning magnet schools is available at www.crec.org
(Above: left to right) Ryan Martin, professional wheelchair basketball player,
Carlos Quiles, captain of the Connecticut Spokebenders wheelchair basketball team,
and Tony Napoleone, principal of the CREC Montessori Magnet School.
Capitol Region Education Council
www.crec.org