The University of Arizona's wheelchair basketball team has been competing since 1974. The team, originally a member of the Southern California Conference, became an independent member of the NWBA in 1986 and is currently a member of the Championship Division. The team practices five times per week, in addition to two days a week of strength and conditioning training at the Disability Resource’s Adaptive Athletic Gym.
The Arizona Wildcats play an average of 30 games per season, mostly through tournament competitions. Travel includes destinations such as: Nevada, California, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas. The Wildcats will also host home tournaments throughout the regular season. The University of Arizona's Adaptive Athletic program was mentioned in April 28th, 1997 issue of Sports Illustrated as one of the reasons the University of Arizona was rated #12 of the top overall Division I athletic programs in the country
Wheelchair Basketball began in hospitals in the United States post WWII. The Patients would use their hospital chairs to push around the court.
In modern Wheelchair Basketball, the chairs have come a long way since the old hospital chairs, and are specific in their design and shape. They are made of light weight material from the frame all the way to the straps and spokes.
The wheels feature 'camber' which angles the bottom of the wheels outward, this enables the players to have a sharp, zero degree turn radius.
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| For more information contact: Derek Brown, Head Coach Men’s Wheelchair Basketball University of Arizona Wildcats 1224 E Lowell St. Tucson, Arizona 85721 Ph. (520) 247-4305 Fx. (520) 621-9423 E-Mail: ddbrown@email.arizona.edu |
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