Martrell Stevens '21

(From the Fall 2020 Bulletin)

Sixth-former Martrell Stevens is a lesson in determination and grace. A spinal cord injury at 4 years old changed the arc of his life, but it didn't change the trajectory of it. A Chicago native, Stevens became one of the country's best wheelchair basketball players and, this fall, he signed to play for the 15-time national champion team at the University of Illinois. He looks forward, he says, to experiencing a high level of play, potentially on the national and international level. He also looks forward, he says, to college, to the academic experience, and to "figuring out what I love to do, and what I lose track of time doing."

Martrell Stevens '21 was joined by loved ones on Zoom for his signing ceremony this fall.

Stevens began playing wheelchair basketball at 6 years old, while he was still rehabbing his injury. "I was just a little kid ready to do something different," he says. "I grew up playing the sport, and that's benefited me. The people I play against have typically only been playing for a few years, but I'm only 17 years old and I've already been playing for 10 years." Stevens acknowledges the hard work he's put in and explains that, due to the sport's rules on equity of player mobility, his low level of mobility coupled with his high level of skill make him a valuable player.

A Chicago native, Stevens became one of the country's best wheelchair basketball players and, this fall, he signed to play for the 15-time national champion team at the University of Illinois.

Stevens followed his older brother, Will Stevens '18, to Brooks, and he says he's found a home here. He transitioned from his home team to the Connecticut-based Ryan Martin Trojans, and he's dedicated Saturday afternoons to traveling to and from practice. He's also become a part of the boys basketball program at Brooks: "I took on the manager role," Stevens says, "but as my game got more serious, I became less of a manager and more of a player working on my game with the team."

Stevens takes pride in his independence, but he credits several Brooks faculty with giving him support when he needs it: Boys 1st basketball coach John McVeigh; Stevens's advisor, Lindsey McDowell; Director of Athletics Bobbie Crump-Burbank; and English faculty Leigh Perkins '81, for example. He also heaps thanks on the Health Services staff, who help with physical therapy and other treatments. "Brooks has given me an advantage in helping me become independent," he says. "As someone in a wheelchair, as a disabled person, we're more prone to depending on others to function. Brooks has given me a head start on college and living on my own because I've been doing that for four years already."

Martrell Stevens '21 (right) was congratulated by boys 1st basketball captain and school prefect Tyler Whitney-Sidney '21 at Stevens's signing ceremony this fall.