Neuro Note #2: Rollin' Grizzlies Game

When Professor Lancaster told us about the opportunity to watch the Rollin' Grizzlies Wheelchair Basketball Team during their practice, I knew it was something I just could not pass up. I had seen wheelchair basketball on television before, and even have a good friend that did adapted skiing this past winter. It was nothing like I expected. I thought that since the guys were in wheelchairs, that they had to be gentle and be careful not to tip themselves or anyone else over. Boy, was I wrong! These guys went at it, just like in regular basketball. They fouled on each other, got penalty shots, and even had a rule for traveling, which was no more than three pushes for one dribble. As I watched them push up and down the court, I couldn't help but notice how easy they made it look. Every move they made was orchestrated perfectly, and it looked second nature to all of the guys. Even from watching them do suicides and turn their chairs around on a dime, they had me in awe.

I was so fortunate to have the chance to try out one player's chair and try to shoot a few baskets. It is much harder than it looks. Even pushing myself in the direction I wanted to go was a challenge. "How do I turn myself around? I don't want to go that way! How do I back up? I need to turn around" These are just a few of the thoughts that ran through my head as I pushed myself in the chair. Some of the other OT students in my class had a relay race, where we pushed as hard as we could to the half-court line and back. We even tried doing it backwards, which was much harder. For someone that doesn't work out regularly, it was quite a challenge, especially for my upper body. Professor Lancaster told us that the movements would feel weird to us since we don't use wheelchairs regularly, and how it would be much easier for the players to do since they were so used to being in a wheelchair.

My biggest takeaway from this experience is that anyone can find meaning and purpose in their lives, even if they have a spinal cord injury. If basketball is something that brings someone joy and happiness, why should they stop? I personally believe that everyone deserves the right to happiness, and I was able to see it in everyone's faces that night. It was very clear that the guys there were a family. What set them apart from the outside world due to their injury brought them together for one common goal: to play basketball. This was an experience I will never forget, and I suggest everyone should go if ever given the opportunity.