UIC’s athletic center on Roosevelt Road was buzzing Thursday afternoon as the sound of basketballs bouncing off the hardwood blended with the laughter of more than 50 people participating in the “Court of Dreams” event organized by Bryce Weiler and the Beautiful Lives Project.
Weiler’s mission is simple: to provide adults and kids with disabilities across the country an opportunity to experience sports, art and wellness.
“We do more than just sports,” said Weiler, 32, who grew up in downstate Claremont. “Any time Beautiful Lives Project has an event, whether its sports or art, it’s allowing those who may not have opportunities to create lifelong friendships.”
Weiler, who has been blind since birth as a result of a condition called retinopathy, co-founded the Beautiful Lives Project in 2017 with Anthony Iacovone, former owner of the New Britain Bees, a Futures Collegiate Baseball League team in Connecticut. The idea came to him after reflecting on the four years he spent on the University of Evansville men’s basketball bench, providing commentary on college sports radio broadcasts while he pursued his bachelor’s degree in sports management and communication.
What started with an email to Iacovone has turned into six years’ worth of immersive events across the country.
“We want to make sports more accessible but also give adults and children of any disability an opportunity to have experiences,” Weiler said. “These friendships with coaches and players can help them be successful in life.”
The first Court of Dreams event was held in 2019 with the UIC women’s basketball program and former coach Tasha Pointer. Weiler partnered with the University of St. Francis to hold the second one Tuesday before returning to UIC on Thursday.
It was Weiler’s persistent communication with new Flames coach Ashleen Bracey, who was hired in 2022, that led to UIC being involved for a second time.
Ashleen Bracey, head coach of the UIC Flames women’s basketball team, stands beside Beautiful Lives Project Co-Founder Bryce Weiler as he gives his remarks during the Court of Dreams event at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Flames Athletic Center in the Little Italy neighborhood.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
“He’s been in my inbox since I got here,” Bracey said. “We tried to do this last year, but it unfortunately fell through. This is what we believe in, giving back to the community, serving and connecting with people.”
The day started with introductions before Bracey’s players broke into groups with the participants, includding high school students from Simeon and Lane Tech. Each group worked through various basketball drills before concluding with some light competition and autographs from the UIC women.
“The takeaway from today is I’m going to want to come back and do this again,” said Keith, a 19-year-old participant. “It was so awesome to come out and get the exercise. Plus, I love basketball.”
Bracey says she’s committed to making the partnership a regular part of her program. That’s music to the ears of Weiler, who also has organized events with Michigan State football, Western Michigan basketball and the Evansville Otters of baseball’s independent Frontier League. After each event, his takeaway is always the same.
“I find that everyone is leaving with something, whether it’s [an organization] learning how to be more accessible or realizing that if they’re a player, they have such a great platform,” he said. “So many great outcomes come out of these programs.”
