Bend Senior HS basketball team manager brings energy, smiles to the sidelines

(Update: adding video, comments by Cameron, his dad, coach & teammate)

Senior Cameron Walker, who took the reins as team manager this season, was born with Down syndrome

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend Senior High School basketball team preaches enthusiasm and energy, both on and off the court. With the squad en route to its first winning season since 2017, those emotions are fairly common. However, no one embodies them more than one team member in particular.

Cameron Walker is the team manager. He has not stepped foot on the court for the Lava Bears this season, but you cannot miss him on the sidelines.

"I always yell,” Walker told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday. “I cheer my teammates. I'm so excited when my team wins."

Cameron, a senior who just graduated from the high school, was born with Down syndrome. His dad, Mike, said they weren't sure what his future would hold.

“We always joked, like, ‘Man, he's not going to run,’” Mike said. “That's what you feel like, when you have a child with special needs. You just don't know what to expect."

Basketball was Cameron's saving grace.

“Just from a very, very young age, he was doing the granny style, outside the three-point line -- just draining it,” Mike said.

You can usually find Cameron playing basketball through Unified Sports, a program which combines Special Olympics athletes with those who don't have intellectual disabilities. The pandemic, though, put their season on hold.

That’s when Cameron decided to try out for the high school team.

“We always want Cameron to be involved in a process, so he learns disappointment,” Mike told NewsChannel 21. “It sounds strange to say that, but we wanted him to go through the tryout process, because he could play basketball."

Cameron didn't make it as a player, but Lava Bears Head Coach Aaron Johnson knew he wanted Cameron to still be a part of the team.

Cameron organizes gear and puts the basketballs away at the end of practice, just like any other manager. But his true value comes on game day.

“Our bench gets worn quite a bit, because they're excited,” Johnson said. “They like to play for each other, and he is the most excited of the bunch.”

The players appreciate the energy boost.

“It's just fun to have him there,” said sophomore forward Austin Baker. “(It’s) fun to see him there. I think he really likes being there."

Cameron confirmed he loves being with the team on the sidelines.

"I want to be happy,” he said. “I have energy, I have my power."

Even though Cameron hasn't played in a game, this team wouldn't be the same without him.

Now that he’s graduated, Cameron can start to think about his future. NewsChannel 21 asked Cameron what he plans on doing after this season, and he said he hopes to be right back on the sidelines with the Lava Bears next year.