Wheelchair Basketball in the USA

Wheelchair Basketball is a game played by individuals with physical disabilities on wheelchairs. Although the game was initially meant for only men suffering from spinal cord injuries, but the opportunity to play the game now opened for both men and women with varieties of disabilities throughout the world. The game of Basketball has been a part of Paralympics since 1960.

Wheelchair basketball game started in 1946 in a hospital called Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals in Birmingham and Framingham (MA). This is where World War II veterans were being treated for varieties of paralysis degrees. Knowing they might permanently spend the rest of their lives on wheelchair, these patients decisively decided to look for a way to start entertaining people and thereby begin to get global recognition.

These people sought for varieties of entertainment through so many sports. Some of them started with Ping-Pong and pool, then latter progressed to swimming and bowling, and quickly later to wheelchair basketball and softball.
The International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) introduced the first sub-section for wheelchair basketball in 1973. At that time of old, ISMGF was the world governing body for all known wheelchair sports.

Sometimes In 1989 ISMGF accepted its former wheelchair basketball sub-section to be re-named International Wheelchair Basketball Federation also known as IWBF in acronyms. Presently, the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) remains the governing body for this sport globally, and US Wheelchair Basketball team is an appendage of IWBF.

Over the years, Wheelchair Basketball in the US has ever been funded through donations and contributions from non-profit NGO’s, individual/voluntary donations, government support etc. Recently, some amount as grant was awarded to all USA based disabled sport teams to fund their junior wheelchair basketball team.

The first Wheelchair Basketball world championship for men was won by Great Britain in 1973. Wheelchair Basketball World championships have been held since 1973, with BrugesBelgium being the first host city. United States had won the 11 first men's world championships 6 times as follows: (1979, 1983, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2002), Great Britain won the first ever championship in 1973 just once, Israel won in 1975, France in 1990, Canada in 2006 and Australia won in 2010. Canada has won four of the women's world championship titles in (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006), while the United States won two times in 1990 and 2010. Since the Rome 1960 Paralympics Games, the US has won ten gold medals, two silver medals and seven bronze medals in wheelchair basketball, making a total of 19 medals altogether.

Considering the advancement of University of Arizona UA (USA) in wheelchair Basketball, there are four out of eight good players that have been selected for the USA Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team, even though just only three of them were committed. Ryan happens to be one of those selected to play at the 2016 Paralympic Games coming up in Brazil. Ryan was selected this last summer.
The following are key players representing the Country of America in wheelchair Basketball games presently for your perusal: The final team selection will be completed by July 12 this year. The eighteen players selected were:

Steve Serio, Brian Bell, Josh Turek, Nate Hinze, Treyvon Jenifer, Ryan Neiswender, Jake Williams, Paul Schulte, Jeremy Lade, Will Waller, Jared Arambula, Mike Paye, Aaron Gouge, Ian Lynch, Jermell Pennie, Carter Arey, John Gilbert, Matt Scott.
One of the 18 players on the US Wheelchair Basketball team is Steve Serio, Steve Serio as an athletes uses a uniquely different wheelchair for basketball playing, this allows him to move quicker in the game than others. Serio who happened to be one of the top scorers in wheelchair basketball can barely shoot at a higher rate from almost anywhere/angle on the floor.

Steve Serio, a professional who joined the team in 2006 as US Wheelchair Basketball player once said during an interview: "I can move faster in these things. These wheels aren't made for going to our cars or go to Walmart. These wheels are made for moving and going fast in playing basketball," Steve said.