He’ll Take A Charge, If Necessary

To this day, Robert Martin and his doctor don’t know what caused him to have a cardiac arrest during Hoopfest weekend of 1993.

An uncle on his father’s side of the family died of heart problems some years ago. But to the best of Martin and his family’s ability, they haven’t been able to trace a history of heart problems.

Three years later, Martin, 26, now has 750 reasons to believe such an event won’t happen again.

It’s 750 volts to be precise.

Martin has a defibrillator - a small battery and probes - sewn to his heart. In the event of a dramatic change in heart rate, the defibrillator sends 750 volts to his heart.

Last year, competing in the open division, in Martin’s first taste of competitive action, his defibrillator sent five charges through his body on the first day of the tournament.

“My heart rate was at about 145, and I hadn’t even played yet,” he said. “It was my first time back playing seriously (he played in the wheelchair division with Special Olympians, whom he works for in ‘94), and I was nervous.

“I was just standing around getting ready to play and I was hot and sweating, and zap,” he said.

“I got shocked four more times after that until I just relaxed and started playing. There was an awful lot of emotion. I just kept thinking back to what happened before.”

He said the 750 volts running to his heart felt like a horse kicking him in the chest.

“It’s pretty wild,” he said.

Martin also plays with a heart monitor strapped around his chest, giving him a reading of his heart rate.

“It works great. I never play without it,” he said. “It’s there to remind me not to overdo it.”

Martin won’t be back in the open division this year. He’s playing in the Unified Division, where he is paired with another Special Olympian coach and two Special Olympian athletes.

Why does Martin bother?

“Basketball has always been the fun sport for me,” he said. “I thought for a long time I’d never be able to play. Everybody thought my athletic career would come to a halt. Over the last three years, it’s all worked out well.”

Shop ‘til you drop

You can spot them at the other end of every department store and mall in Spokane this weekend.

Young children drag mom or dad or both from pillar to post in search of … the perfect pair of shoes and the smoothest athletic gear for Hoopfest weekend.

Hoopfest - the Event - is just as much a fashion show for participants as it is a 3-on-3 tournament. Take to the court with shoddy gear, well, your fellow homeboys and homegirls might laugh you off the court.

In area malls, basketball equipment is selling like it’s going out of style.

“Right now, you don’t have to sell the shoe as much,” said Chris Buchanan of Champ Sports in NorthTown Mall. “People come in here, see what they want and just ask for you to get their size.”

For most Spokane sporting goods and shoe stores, after the Christmas season, Hoopfest is the busiest time of year.

“People buy year-round,” Buchanan said. “But we certainly see an increase in business.”

Bo Chalich, assistant manager at Champs, said sales are skyrocketing.

“Mesh shorts and the sleeveless Nike shirts are also really popular,” Chalich said.

In comparison to the annual Bloomsday race, Hoopfest generally attracts more consumers. NorthTown’s Lady Foot Locker is an exception.

“Bloomsday is our biggest day,” said Christine Jones, who works there.

That suggests more women run than play basketball. But, added Jones, “we’re certainly doing a lot more business than we usually do.”

Jones said girls and women in the 13-22 age range tend to be the largest purchasers of new Hoofest apparel.

No, not Junior

In the player listings on page 47 of the Hoopfest program, in the third column, there is one name familiar to baseball fans throughout the country.

Ken Griffey.

He’ll be playing in the 3-on-3 tournament with the team “Above the Rim.”

Don’t bother to ask for an autograph (unless you just really want to). This Griffey doesn’t play for the M’s.

, DataTimes