Bigger Than Basketball: Down Syndrome Doesn't Stop Stanton Freshman

Stanton freshman Haley Happold is embraced by teammates after a buzzer beater Friday night against Pender. Her first varsity basketball game, Happold, who has Down Syndrome, went in for the final seconds of the game and scored the first basket of her career. (Photo By Monica Pohlman)

​Less than 30 seconds remained in Saturday’s girls varsity basketball game. Down by 30 points, Stanton wasn’t going to win the game. But the Mustangs won something bigger — much bigger.

That’s when coach Greg Wegner sent Haley Happold into the game.

A freshman with Down Syndrome, Haley suits up and sits the bench beside her friends and mentors during the varsity game. But on Saturday night against two-time state champion Pender, Haley became the star of the game.

With just 11 seconds left, Haley ran to the 3-point line near the corner of the court when teammate Hattie Weatherholt passed her the ball. Playing in her first varsity game, 14-year-old Haley caught the ball with both hands. She took four dribbles and drove toward the hoop — stopping on the block just like she’d practiced with her friend Peyton Dixon — and put up her first shot.

It went straight up and missed the rim, but Peyton was there to catch it. Just like in practice. Peyton quickly rebounded it and passed it back to Haley, who dribbled once and shot the ball again. Another miss — but this one touched the net. It was closer. Peyton rebounded it again, handing the ball back to Haley.

With the game clock ticking down, the Pender defense never moved — standing still as to not interfere with Haley’s concentration. Some encouragement could be heard from the crowd, but mostly Stanton’s gym was quiet. The student section behind Haley was visibly frozen, muscles stiff as they watched — waiting and hoping for a basket.

Senior Barrett Wilke stood on the edge of the court, hopping into the air every time Haley put up a shot and looking at the clock and then back at her wanting Haley to score. With each shot, Barrett jumped a little higher — trying to will the ball into the hoop for his special friend.
​
The clock kept ticking. Three seconds, two seconds. One last chance.

Haley released her third shot, pushing the ball out of her hands just as the buzzer sounded, still ringing loudly as the ball swished through the net with the student section behind her leaping into the air screaming.

Haley did the same. Hands closed tightly into fists, Haley thrust her arms into the air like she’d won the Super Bowl. Peyton grabbed her buddy, lifted Haley up and swung her friend around in celebration.

“Stanton may not have won the game, but we were the winners that night,” said Haley’s mom, Amber. “We won something much bigger than a basketball game.”
​
​A Chance On Stanton
It’s been nearly one year to the day that Troy and Amber Happold moved their teenage children — Ryan and Haley — to Stanton. On Jan. 3, 2024. Amber began her role as the county’s first new assessor in nearly two decades. Born and raised in Brown County, Amber had lived in the Ainsworth area for all but three years of her life. Her children had never lived anywhere else. Moving 150 miles would be a life change for any family, but it was an even bigger risk with a special needs child.

“My big concern was this had to be right for Haley. My career can be put on hold because whatever we choose has to be in the best interest for Haley,” she said. “Seeing other kids respond well and her thriving well just means the world to me. She only knew Ainsworth her whole life until now.”

Amber said everyone in Ainsworth knew Haley from Day 1, so transitioning her into a school setting was fairly smooth. In Stanton, it was more difficult just because no one knew her. It was starting at ground zero with every aspect.

“Some of them had never been around a Down Syndrome student, so the way they’ve adjusted to her just makes everything so much better,” she said. “She can be a bit much sometimes and stubborn, but it’s a learning curve. I’m getting more of a feel in Stanton like we had in Ainsworth, and that’s great.”

Haley — who Amber calls a social butterfly — is the only freshman on the Stanton cheer team and is part of the dance team. She played buddy baseball last fall, as well. Stanton offers unified track and field, though the family hasn’t decided if she’ll go out for that because Haley may need a break.

“It’s been great realizing the switch here has been beneficial for her,” Amber said. “It’s been a good year. Stanton has been good for us.”

Peyton Dixon points to where she and Haley Happold had been practicing. (Photo By Monica Pohlman)

Haley’s Best Shot
Basketball is Haley’s favorite sport. When she went into last week’s basketball game, Haley said she was excited to be on the court — but never scared. Saturday was the first time she’d ever been passed the ball in a game. When the buzzer sounded and ball went through the hoop, the feeling was magical for Haley. Giggling at the memory, Haley had only one word to describe the feeling — great.

“It was great,” she said, smiling and giggling as she wiggled around still excited about her big shot. “My friends hugged me.”

Haley was so excited she didn’t notice all of the Stanton boys celebrating her big shot. With the game nearly over and a blowout loss for Stanton, Amber had just put her camera away when Haley was subbed into the game. Amber quickly grabbed her phone and started recording video. She gave the video to the Stanton Register, who shared it on Facebook. A week later, it has more than 40,000 views. Haley giggled more as she watched the video.

“My brother there!” she yelled, pointing at the screen, showing Ryan sitting with his friends in the student section celebrating his little sister’s basket.

With her daughter watching the video, Amber just looked at Haley and smiled.

“The whole gym erupted, didn’t they?” she said. “Look at all those boys, even Ryan. He jumped up with everyone else.”

Haley said it was exciting to see her brother and all his friends so happy. Every time they watched the video, Amber said they noticed something new. That’s when she noticed Barrett Wilke trying to will the ball into the hoop. That’s when they saw Ryan celebrating for his sister.

Haley said she liked reading what people wrote about her.

“I got a lot of comments,” she said proudly.

Amber said it’s been incredible reading the comments on social media. Together, they read through as many as they could find.

​“I think this really helps spread awareness about Down Syndrome,” she said. “With sports, people have become Haley fans. I really think she’s spreading awareness that she doesn’t even realize.”

---

Haley Happold shoots the ball against Pender on Saturday night. She scored a basket as the buzzer sounded, sending the Stanton and Pender fans and players to their feet to celebrate with her. (Monica Pohlman)

​
Bigger Than Basketball
At Stanton, Haley is included with her peers in most of the freshman classes, though she takes English, math and keyboarding separately. Sometimes she has a para with her, but not always.

“They have modified assignments,” Amber said. “We want her to be in the classroom as much as possible. They’ve been really good with adjusting to her.”

That inclusion has helped Haley strengthen friendships.

“My friends and my family are important to me — to us,” Haley said, putting her hand on her mom’s shoulder before giving her another special hug.

“Haley gives the best hugs,” her mom said with a smile.

Peyton Dixon said she loves seeing Haley in school. They talk a little bit every day. And, of course, Haley gives Peyton lots of hugs, too.

“Her hugs are the best,” Peyton said.

Haley has a lot of best friends. So many it’s hard to pick just one. Maggie Maas, who also has Down Syndrome, is her best, best friend, but she phones classmate and fellow Mustang Bergan Pohlman almost every evening to tell her goodnight.

And then there’s Peyton, who kept rebounding the ball for Haley during Saturday’s game. She calls Peyton her best friend at school. It’s no surprise considering how much time Peyton devotes to Haley.

“We’ve been working on that shot after practice for a while. I don’t think anyone really knows we do that — just me and Haley,” Peyton said. “The Pender game was the perfect opportunity for her. We always shoot at the one block in practice, so I told we were going to do what we always do at practice. She gave it a couple of tries, and she made the basket.”

Another friend of Haley’s is senior Kelby Pohlman. Haley likes to sit next to her and keeps her stuff next Kelby’s in the locker room.

Both Peyton and Kelby said they immediately clicked with Haley. With a positive and bubbly personality, both girls said it’s impossible not to adore her.

“She makes my day — she always makes my day,” Peyton said. “She can brighten my day up, and that’s just something she can do with anyone. It’s something that’s really special about Haley.”

The Mustangs were in the locker room Saturday in between the junior varsity and varsity games when Haley told Kelby she didn’t get into game. Kelby reassured her that she might get to play in the next game — and maybe even score a basket. Haley didn’t think so. After all, she’d never played varsity before and had just gotten into her first JV game the night before. That was only for a few seconds.

After Saturday’s game, Haley ran up to Kelby and told her that she was right. Haley not only went into the game, but she scored a basket. Just when Haley didn’t think her night could be even better, Kelby asked the freshman to lead the team breakdown after they huddled up in the locker room.

“I got to say, ‘Go Mustangs on three,’ ” Haley said, smiling that same smile she had after Saturday’s game. “It was great.”

Coach Wegner said even though his team was not able to keep up with Pender, the game gave coaches an opportunity to get everyone onto the court. Still, he didn’t talk to Pender about possibly putting Haley into the game. He never asked Pender to treat her any differently or allow her to make the basket.

It just happened.

“That was all credit to the kids on the floor, both sets of girls just did it without being told,” Wegner said.

That meant a lot to the Happold family, knowing it was simply kids wanting to do the right thing without being told to do it. When Haley left the court with her team, she was surrounded by the Stanton boys basketball team. The Pender boys also congratulated her, giving Haley high fives as they walked through the hallway. And as the family left the school, Pender fans congratulated Haley on her special night.

A special night for a special girl.

Wegner said sports are about much more than wins and losses. Seeing the way his team has encouraged and welcomed Haley reiterates that.

“We have a great set of kids on our team — ones who realize sports are more than just winning and losing games,” he said. “Regardless of the score on Saturday, most will remember the final shot of the night and the spirits lifted as Haley made a basket.”

---