Memphis Rolling Grizzlies (Neuro Note #4)

About a month ago, we had the opportunity to attend a practice for the Memphis Rolling Grizzlies, a wheelchair basketball team. I had never watched a wheelchair basketball practice or game before so I was extremely interested in attending their practice to learn more about how the players move around the court and play basketball in a wheelchair. In 2003, the Memphis Rolling Grizzlies was created to spread awareness and advocate for wheelchair basketball. Twice a week the Memphis Rolling Grizzilies meet to practice and keep their basketball skills fresh so they are able to travel around the country to play against other teams. They are a well recognized team and have even placed in the top 10 on a national level. Many of the players are amputees or have experienced some type of traumatic event which affects the use of their legs but as Michael Owens, one of the players, says "Gun shot wounds, car accidents, freak accidents. It don't matter we're in the same family. A chair is a chair." 

I was extremely impressed by the intensity and determination of the players. All of the players were in incredible cardio-respiratory shape and I could tell they were working hard to keep up with one another. They were extremely competitive and their coach was really encouraging and positive. I think this is a great outlet for these guys to get together and to work towards a common goal to help with not only their physical skills but also their social skills. It was a really cool experience to attend and I hope they continue to excel within the wheelchair basketball community. All of the players were very welcoming - they even let us try out their wheelchairs. Even though I didn't participate, it was cool to see some of my classmates try and figure out how they use their wheelchairs and do a few drills in them! 

Check out more information on the Rolling Grizzlies on their Facebook page: Memphis Rolling Grizzlies or on their website: www.rollinggrizzlies.org. 

Sources:

Man who lost leg continues to recover, playing wheelchair basketball. (2017, January 13). WMC Action News 5. Retrieved on May 24th from http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/26364603/man-who-lost-his-legs-continues-to-recover-playing-wheelchair-basketball-too