Wheelchair Sports with Jim Dugan

My week in the wheelchair in no way, shape, or form prepared me for last Monday's class. What I thought would be a fun evening of wheelchair sports turned into exactly that. Two days later is when the real fun began though. As I type this I am still feeling the effects of the intensity that comes with wheelchair basketball and softball.

Mr. Jim Dugan, from the Gateway Confluence Wheelchair Sports Foundation, came by to teach us about wheelchair basketball and softball. He is also kind enough to be coming back this next week for more fun. Mr. Dugan is a former Paralympian and co-founder of Confluence Sports who is passionate about wheelchair sports to say the least. First he made sure we all knew how to use the chairs before we began playing basketball. The rules are fairly similar to regular basketball so there was not much extra instruction. At first we played half court to give every one a chance to get the feel for moving around, passing the ball, and taking some shots. After a little while we were then ready for the real deal of full court basketball. This is where the pain began.

We have some pretty intense competitors in our class so there was never a dull moment during this game. Running up and down a court is one thing, but until you have to constantly push a chair around you have no idea how tough this game is. I thought after being in a chair for a week I would do fairly well. I feel like I maneuvered around just fine and was always one of the first getting down the court. That was probably the first mistake. If I could have seen two days in the future I would have toned it down a notch or two. All the while we were playing, Jim would give us pointers here and there. His many years of experience were invaluable in helping us out. It was like learning to play basketball all over again. Unfortunately my team lost a close battle but we would soon make up for it.

Next up was some indoor wheelchair softball. We made some make shift bases and Jim was the all time pitcher. Obviously we did not use real softballs and bats for safety reason, but instead some foam bats and nerf balls. Jim was nice enough to not throw any crazy pitches. He just tossed them in there like we were learning to play ball for the first time. It was very interesting trying to bat without any legs. Someone mentioned to me to use the wheels as your hips by holding the bat with one hand and rotating the chair as you swung with the other. This was great advice and made a big difference in how much power you could get into your swing. Fielding the ball was made easier by being in a basketball gym. There were only so many places the ball could go as opposed to being outside. Everyone seemed to catch on quite well and this time around my team pulled out the victory.

While we were playing basketball I could already feel my traps getting sore. Little did I know that Wednesday morning I would barely be able to move my upper body. I had to cancel the classes I usually teach and rushed to get a massage in hopes of working out the kinks. Most massages are relaxing and enjoyable...this one was neither of those things. I knew I needed to get it done though or the rest of the week would be just as painful. It is now Sunday evening and if I turn my head wrong my neck reminds me of my crazy effort last Monday. I am half scared for tomorrow evening's session with Mr. Dugan. I am sure it will be another eye opener, but if I learned anything from last week, I will be taking it a little easier. You can tell yourself you are in good shape, but if you try to do something out of the ordinary then your body will kindly remind you of your limitations. I never doubted how difficult it would be to take part in wheelchair sports. Like I have said before, you need to put yourself in someone else's shoes (or chair) before you can try to understand their needs and do what you can to address them.