Wheelchair basketball registration underway
Creating awareness of adaptive sports is the objective of an Intramural Wheelchair Basketball Tournament beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 8 at Central Michigan University’s Student Activity Center.
This fall will mark the third semester the IM Wheelchair Basketball Tournament has taken place. Margie Wallington, program coordinator, said the event provides a unique experience for participants.
“You realize it might not be as easy as you think,” she said.
Players are required to multi-task during these games, using their arms and hands for passing and shooting as well as pushing themselves around the hardwood.
Although no people who use wheelchairs have entered the event so far, Wallington said that providing an avenue for those folks is the end goal of the tournament .
“We have reached out to departments in hopes of informing people who are bound to wheelchairs to participate,” Wallington said.
Evan Crank, a senior at CMU and a member of what he calls the “Dream Team” has participated in the event each of the three semesters it has happened.
Crank said he believes an event like this is a great way to expand awareness for the various issues a person who uses a wheelchair faces.
“We play basketball, but they have to do it on an everyday basis,” Crank said. “You gain a whole new respect for adaptive sports and its athletes.”
The “Dream Team” is only one of two teams signed up for the event so far. Tournament officials say they expect the event to fill up closer to the the event’s start date.
Registration for The Wheelchair Basketball Tournament is open to the public, but students, faculty and staff are the main target.
There is no limit on the number of members allowed on a team.
The deadline for registration is Friday, Oct. 3. No more than 16 team will be allowed to sign up.
Sign up can be accomplished through CMU’s IM website http://www.imleagues.com/cmich.
Wheelchairs for the event are provided by Michigan Sports Unlimited.
